To Read Or Not
Judy Ramsook
October 05, 2005
When Mrs. Victoria Beckham recently admitted to the world that she had not read a book in its entirety, some people were surprised.
Maybe one of the reasons for the surprise was that she, Mrs. Beckham hails from the same country where an abundance of literary greats also hailed from. Such greats as William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and The Bronte Sisters, just to name a few.
And when it was later learned that Fantasia of American Idol fame could not read, again, some people in our midst were surprised, and then there were those who stopped and thought for a moment.
For what is discovered here are two things Mark Twain said in his famous quote: “ The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.” For being able to read is such an important part of everyday life.
Without that ability one would not be able to peruse the daily newspaper, study for a driver’s license, or figure out the currency system, among other things.
For some people who cannot read may want to learn how to acquire that ability but are too embarrassed to indicate to some one that he/she does not have that ability. Why?
Maybe they were not as fast as their fellow peers in school to learn how to read as quickly as their friends did and maybe some had to quit school at an early age for whatever reason.
So, as time and life wore on, so did their inability to read, but there comes a turning point in all of this.
What if at some point along the way, that person who lacks the ability to read has to read and sign an important contract before a group of associates who are unaware that the person about to sign that important document cannot understand the words on the page(s).
And panic sets in for the non reader as he/she looks at the document before him/her. One of several things may happen. He/she may try to sign the contract without understanding what the stipulations in the contract are, or he/she could request to take the document home to have a loved one read and interpret the terms.
Reading is not a difficult ability to acquire. All that’s required is some time, patience and the willingness to understand the words on a page.
Celebrity or not, at some point the ability to read will play a vital role in some one’s life and when that occasion comes, one may not have the luxury of time to contact a loved one or family member to rescue you from your plight.
For if you were able to read, you could rescue yourself.
Maybe one of the reasons for the surprise was that she, Mrs. Beckham hails from the same country where an abundance of literary greats also hailed from. Such greats as William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and The Bronte Sisters, just to name a few.
And when it was later learned that Fantasia of American Idol fame could not read, again, some people in our midst were surprised, and then there were those who stopped and thought for a moment.
For what is discovered here are two things Mark Twain said in his famous quote: “ The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.” For being able to read is such an important part of everyday life.
Without that ability one would not be able to peruse the daily newspaper, study for a driver’s license, or figure out the currency system, among other things.
For some people who cannot read may want to learn how to acquire that ability but are too embarrassed to indicate to some one that he/she does not have that ability. Why?
Maybe they were not as fast as their fellow peers in school to learn how to read as quickly as their friends did and maybe some had to quit school at an early age for whatever reason.
So, as time and life wore on, so did their inability to read, but there comes a turning point in all of this.
What if at some point along the way, that person who lacks the ability to read has to read and sign an important contract before a group of associates who are unaware that the person about to sign that important document cannot understand the words on the page(s).
And panic sets in for the non reader as he/she looks at the document before him/her. One of several things may happen. He/she may try to sign the contract without understanding what the stipulations in the contract are, or he/she could request to take the document home to have a loved one read and interpret the terms.
Reading is not a difficult ability to acquire. All that’s required is some time, patience and the willingness to understand the words on a page.
Celebrity or not, at some point the ability to read will play a vital role in some one’s life and when that occasion comes, one may not have the luxury of time to contact a loved one or family member to rescue you from your plight.
For if you were able to read, you could rescue yourself.
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