By Felicity Carius
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When I lived in Pennsylvania for three years, I attended a Christian school. I was in the fifth grade at the time of my first major literacy event. I was sitting in a classroom full of, let's say, twenty kids. Out of those twenty kids, I sat in the back right-hand corner of the classroom. Mrs. Bird's classroom. Her classroom was bright and colorful, filled with various educational posters. In one corner was the history corner, and the other was the book reading station. Behind me, to my right, was her desk full of different decorations. Some of which my classmates gave her, and some of which applied to the seasons. Her podium was always up front in the middle, where she would sit and read to us every morning. Some mornings, she would read short literary stories of all genres. They would be about historical events, like Rosa Parks or the moon landing. Sometimes the short stories would be fictional and about fantasy adventures. On other days, she would read poetry, which was sometimes about love, sadness, or adventure. The most impactful mornings were when Mrs. Bird would read us a book full of Christian martyr stories. This book consisted of different Christian authors who share their experiences about seeing executions or being persecuted for their beliefs. This, as you can imagine, was a lot for a fifth grader like me, but it has had the most impact on me.
Although I remember being excited about these days because, for once, I found literature interesting! Never had I been excited to read or even listen to literature. For starters, I was never a student who thrived in the reading and writing aspect of education. It seemed like whenever I wrote anything, and my proofreading partner would review it, they would rewrite it for me. I never enjoyed reading because I was always assigned boring books that never interested me. I had just accepted that reading and writing were not for me. Though these mornings when Mrs. Bird read to us, I could pay 100% attention to the story and dwell on those readings. How could this be? I never liked listening to boring stories before, so how could this be different?
Mrs. Bird was always an energetic person full of passion. She was a short woman with curly red hair, glasses, and a bright smile. She would stand behind the podium and she would read these short stories, poems, or read from a book. This book was blue, and that is all I can really remember, but the book consisted of stories from Christians who were persecuted. I remember sitting in the back of the class, sitting on the edge of my seat, listening intently. I remember one specific story which was about a man and his family who were asked a question, "Do you denounce Christ?". His family declared they would not and were therefore executed. Another story was of a man in Church. Men would come in, throw the Bible on the ground, and tell people to spit on it. The man did so and left, but a woman approached and cleaned it off and was therefore executed. My fifth-grade self found this hard to believe and was touched by stories like these. I remember Mrs. Bird's voice cracking and sometimes sitting in silence. This is a woman full of life and love, but why is she emotional over a story? How could a "simple" book impact someone's life?
At the end of reading time, she would discuss the story. She would ask questions. Why did this person do what they did? Was it worth it? One of the questions that stuck with me the most was, "Would you be ready to die for your beliefs?".
I don't know, would I? It was stories like these and Mrs. Bird's questions that made me realize how impactful this one book was in my life. Books are amazing ways to learn, use our imagination, but they can also be a way to express ourselves. This book was a collection of different Christian authors who wrote about their different experiences that tested their beliefs. All this writing had one purpose: to communicate a message to an audience, which in this case were my teacher and my peers. It was a way to express themselves, but also to tell others their story and hopefully impact people.
So, I would start my school day. I would find myself pondering during class periods about the stories we read about. For someone who doesn't like reading, how could I be emotionally moved by a passage of words? My days continued like this. Mrs. Bird would read a poem; it wasn't that interesting, so I wouldn't think much of it. The day after that, there would be a unique historical passage that would be read. I would dwell on it and continue with the day. The next day. Mrs. Bird would read from the blue book full of different martyr stories. I would think about those stories continuously throughout the week, not realizing that some stories would stick with me throughout my life.
Looking back now, I realize how much of an impact it had on my life. After all, I am writing about it now. When I was younger, and I must admit up until recently, I found reading and writing to be more of a task. Realizing now that writing in general can open a whole new world to the reader. We can use our imaginations, learn from readings, express ourselves through writing, and be impacted through stories. This literacy event that happened to me in fifth grade impacted me as a twelfth grader. Writing can be a way to be seen and to be heard. These stories were written because those authors wanted others to learn about their experiences. It was a way for them to communicate with me, my teacher, and my classmates.
I understand something now that my ten-year-old self didn't understand. Literacy of any kind moves people. I might not have remembered all the stories from that blue book, but I remember how it made me feel and how it impacted me. That is the purpose of literacy. It is a way for people to use their voice and communicate with an audience. It can be used to challenge us and push ourselves to answer bigger questions.
The true power of literacy is not just to tell a story but to live and learn through it.
About the Author
Felicity Carius is a senior attending Peoria Christian High school, and she currently lives in Washington, Illinois. Felicity was born in Panama, lived in Pennsylvania, and South Africa. Felicity is well versed in assimilating to different cultures based upon where she has lived and traveled. Felicity is passionate for her beliefs, family, and friends, along with her love for adventure and sports.