There are many moments in my life that should have become a memory, but seemed to slip through the gaps of my consciousness. But there is one memory that will stay with me for the rest of my life. When I was probably about four and a half years old, I took a book off a shelf. It was one of those Bob Books, or early childhood books that say things like "The cat sat on the mat". And I remember the first time I gazed at those strange symbols on the page, only to see them transform into words. I couldn't breathe for a moment. It felt like I had been given the ability to perform magic. I somehow knew, even at four, that my life was never going to be the same again.
I have spent a lifetime devouring books. I have read books that have made me sob so hard that it's a wonder the sun shined again. I have read books that have made me laugh so hard that my stomach ached for the longest time. I have fallen in love a thousand times. I have had my heart broken more than I ever wanted. I have sailed across waters so clear and deep that it's like looking through a window at another world. I have scaled mountains so thick with snow that I've lost track of the mountain itself. I have solved murders that have baffled the top guns of Scotland Yard. I have defeated foes more fearsome than your worst nightmares. I have gotten married, had babies, chased dreams, and fallen down. I have died, but I have never stayed dead. I have forgotten myself completely, and have discovered myself whole-heartedly. I have belonged to people I will never know, but who I love more than I will ever understand.
This is the tremendous gift that literacy brings to a person. Books teach us so many things. They teach us about empathy, about seeing the world from the perspective of another entity, and they ask us to care about that entity's story. They teach us to dream, to imagine situations and landscapes and behaviors and words so alien to our familiar world. They teach us that we are not alone in the great, vast universe, that somebody knows the secret fears and hopes we keep locked away in our hearts. But most of all, when you read, you expand. You become more than you ever thought possible. When you read, you are given the tools, the spirit, the voice, and the love to be more, give more, and do more. You learn that you are somebody.
In our world, millions of people are illiterate. Throughout history, keeping books from people was an insidious way to silence them and oppress them. Unfortunately, illiteracy and stunted reading are still used to take power away from people. Some might not believe me when I say that reading is a basic human right. I would say that reading is just as important as drinking water, eating food, or building a shelter. Reading tells us who we are as people, as a society, and as a world, but it also inspires us to think about who we can be. Reading saves and transforms people every single day. Reading is a gift that, once given, can NEVER be taken away. We must inspire those around us to read, because to read is to be human.
In honor of International Literacy Day, I am doing two things. First, I am donating to a literacy related organization called First Book. I'm giving to First Book (http://www.firstbook.org/) because I believe that a lifetime of reading begins with the first book to a young child. It gives them a lifetime of being strong, powerful changemakers. I think giving somebody a book is giving them a chance to live a life they will be proud of. It's one of the truest sign of love to me.
The second thing I am going to do is to challenge all of you! Try to do one of the following today:
1) Read to somebody (a child, the elderly, a friend, an enemy, a parent, a teacher)
2) Make a monetary or book donation to your favorite literary causes or to a school
3) Read a book you have never read before
4) Read your favorite childhood book
5) Start writing your own book
6) Visit the library
7) Read outside
8) Leave a book with a note for someone else
9) Give a book recommendation to a friend
10) Buy a book
Happy International Literacy Day!
-Celinda, Founder of One Step
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