Olivia Owens

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My Own Kind of Literacy
Literacy to many people in general means Being able to calculate what you read and
being able to reflect critically on your own reading and writing process, but is that what it really
9means? It is something different to everyone. Literacy to me can mean an array of different
things and be significant in ones life in many different ways. I myself feel that I have different
areas in my life that I consider myself literate in. Being literate in my religion, situations, and the
way I apply myself to life are important to me. Also, recognizing those who have helped me
become literate and continue to grow.
Being religiously literate to me means knowing what you believe in and having faith in
that higher power. It can mean different things to others no matter what religion, so that doesnt
mean they are not literate because they have different views. I grew up in a Christian family and
was always around Christianity. My family never forced religion on me, I have just always
wanted to continue to go to church and I am glad that I have that foundation. I am very proud to
have my religion and I feel fully literate in it. I would like to recognize my Dad and my
second/third grade teacher, they have had the most impact on my spiritual literacy. My Dad
started out always reading the Bible to me and enrolling me in Christian school until I decided to
go to public school in eighth grade. He has always supported me in everything I did and set a
good example of what it was to stay in my faith. My second/third grade teacher was like a
Mother to me, I looked up to her and wanted to be just like her. She asked the class one day who
wanted to accept the Lord as their savior, so I decided to go with that group and pray to accept
Christ into my heart. Ever since then I know I am saved because I can feel his presence.
One instance that comes to mind is when I close my eyes and see myself at Momentum
church camp during worship service, standing in the rows with everyone else singing along. All

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of the sudden I sang just one certain verse and I just lost it. I see the concrete floor, I see a lot of
people around me and cold metal chairs, band in front singing a gospel song. I have cold chills
but at the same time that hot flash you get that runs down your back. On the second row of a
huge log wooden building with open doors and windows of beautiful nature and rocks and
bridges and scenery and hills and mountains. The Spirit came over me and I had the
overwhelming knot in my throat that I just couldnt swallow. The lead singer just looked at me in
the eyes and nodded in approval that it was okay for me to cry no matter who or how many
people were around it was about being in the moment with God and feeling his presence at that
time and the rest of my life. Why he looked at me I do not know but I feel that it was a sign. I
hear the music of the band, total silence, then crying, but to myself there is a few moments of
total silence. I smell the outside air, dinner cooking and tears of joy sadness and forgiveness. I
feel the touch of a friend and someone who cares. Everyone continues to hug and pray with each
other. We eventually get into groups and talk amongst each other, I thought to myself its nice
to hear reassurance of peers and camp leaders.
This is the time that first comes to my mind when I think about that small moment in my
life that had a large impact. This moment may be small but it means a lot to me. It was in that
moment I felt very close to God, and I definitely miss it. I was in a place where it was very easy
to reconnect with Him and talk to Him more. At that moment I knew my salvation was true, it
was a reassurance that I had God in my heart forever. It meant that I had eternal life through His
death, that fact just hit me hard in that moment. I do not have the words to explain how I truly
felt, I do not know how to explain the overwhelming feeling of love, peace, forgiveness, and just
letting go all in one moment. I will forever remember it, and keep it close to my heart.

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Going to church and praying everyday have carried on into my adult life. I love still
going to my home church to fellowship with friends and high school peers. Praying is something
very important to me, it is a personal way to feel close to God and something I like to do in
private. Another way I stay literate in my faith is knowing the right things to say when asked
about it, putting my words in a way that will not offend others. While on campus I have come in
contact with a lot of people who do not have the same faith as me, and I had to choose my words
wisely but still show that I was a Christian. Everyone has their own way of worshiping and I
dont think it is right to judge someone on what they believe. Thats the one of the biggest parts
of being a Christian. If someone asks me for my opinion or views I am always happy to share
and encourage. I think doing that is a way of being literate in ones faith.
Another part of being literate to me is knowing what to do in certain situations and how
to approach them. If I am faced with a tough decision to make I trust my intuition and my
literacy acquired from past experiences. I think it is important to learn from past experiences
whether they are good or bad, so when one is faced with trials or decisions they will have some
knowledge of what to do. As long as I could remember I have always had good intuition. For
example, nine times out of ten when a friend comes to me with a story or a situation I can usually
tell what the outcome will be. Knowing who to trust can always be a hard decision to make, I
think knowing what to do in those situations make someone literate as far as trusting that gut
feeling.
Literacy can also be applied to life, to me someone can be literate in their own life. I
have always admired other kids who got so involved in high school with sports, clubs, and other
extracurricular activities. I give credit to anyone who takes on all those responsibilities, I wish I
would have done more and been involved more in high school than I was. In life I think it is

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important to be involved in whatever you can whether it is volunteering or clubs. I hope to get
involved in a Christian organization or a club here at Charlotte. Most people say it was one thing
they definitely wish they could change. Another way I think literacy applies in life is knowing
what you want to do with it, whether it be education wise or career wise. Having a plan, dreams,
goals, and aspirations are a big part of life and I think thats what makes everyone unique. My
teachers, peers, and friends in high school always encouraged or invited us to different things
and different ways to get involved with clubs and after school activities. One thing I am very
proud of is volunteering at my towns hospital for two summers, sixty hours each summer. I
became very close with the coordinator, we still communicate to this day. Volunteering helped
me decide that I wanted to have a career in the health field, the coordinator encouraged me and
gave me so many opportunities to grow my knowledge of different types of healthcare fields. I
am thankful for that opportunity and I plan on volunteering, shadowing, and interning a lot more
to continue my literacy of health for my career choice.
In conclusion I am very thankful for all that I have been blessed with, my family, friends,
peers, teachers, and all the people that have encouraged me throughout life. I think they helped
me become literate in all aspects of life. I have learned that literacy is not just focused on reading
and writing but more so on knowledge of what you feel confident or literate in. Its not just being
smart or making good grades. People feel that they are literate in an array of areas, and that to me
is still considered literate.