Ricky Ortuno

Professor Vana
English 114A
3 December 2014
The Epitome of all Essays
I am going to be as straightforward as I possibly can in this paper, I do not like reading
books or writing essays. Speaking on the defense of literacy, it is essential to read and write
because they are a vital skill in job searching, helps develop the mind, and it sets us apart from
the majority of creatures on this planet. Literacy has never been my interest because it does not
give a thrilling impact as to a real life depiction but I continued to improve my literacy skills so
that my mother has the knowledge that her boy has a good education and will have a fortunate
future in this world. Although reading and writing has never caught my full attention, there have
been certain instances in my life where my curiosity has been peeked such as my mother reading
to me, writing a book in the 3rd Grade, and my experience with my 11th Grade English teacher.
I did not always have such a negative opinion toward reading and writing. At the early
age of four I was quite enthusiastic about the concept of literacy because I idolize my mother. I
loved her smooth voice when she read from a childrens book, it was not the book that caught
my attention but her emotion she brought to the story. If the character was happy her voice was
full of delight but if the character faced a dangerous obstacle her tone changed to intimidation
and curiosity. The first day of Kindergarten broke my heart because I was forced in the situation
to separate from my mothers arms but I was promised that everything was going to be all right.
My mothers assurance was all the confidence that I needed to keep myself together. Although I
did not know it at the time, I made a promise to myself that I will stay committed to my studies

and increase my intellect so that I may be half the person my mother was. I kept that promise to
this day, I have always gotten As and sometimes Bs. I honestly do not know what my mother
would have done to me if I gotten anything lower that a B-. I cannot even picture the situation
perfectly but all I can gather is that I would be in tears with a very red bottom. Education was
very important to me especially in Kindergarten because every time I did outstanding on my
work I would be rewarded with a prize. It felt good earning something after you dedicate
yourself on a project. I also remember staying focus on my reading because I would read comic
books such as Batman. Batman had a very tragic but interesting background that I related in
some way. After the death of his parents Batman devoted his life to stop injustice crimes for their
sake. Similar to his devotion, I wanted to gain as much knowledge as I can for the sake of my
parents so that they would not worry about my future. Sadly as the years went by I grew tired of
reading and writing but I kept my grades at a high so that my mother can be pleased and not
worry about my future.
One reason why I did not have the desire to read or write was because I was a visual
learner. I would much prefer watching a two-hour movie where they capture the passion instead
of reading a book for a whole day not being able to see the dramatic impacts of the story. My
attitude toward literacy took a different approach when instead of reading a story I would
actually be writing a story. In the 3rd grade my class was given the opportunity to write their very
own story and would then be able to publish them. I was very much interested in writing this
nook mainly for my dog, Hershey, who I grew up with but passed away early that year. Hershey
was there when I was born and we bonded because we were the same size. He was a very
protective dog, not letting any harm come to me. I wanted to properly honor my companion and
the opportunity just so happened to arrive at my school. I thought it most acceptable to write

about him as a super-hero because he was a very brace and protecting dog that loved to share his
compassion with me. The story instantly took off and it felt like I already knew how and what to
write about before I even started to put pen on paper. Usually I would not even give the words
any thought but I carefully examined my book. After spending so much time and dedication on
the book it was quite the achievement when it was finally published later that year. In all honesty
writing the book The Adventure of Super Hershey was a very enjoyable process of writing
because each page that I wrote about him lit my face up like the Fourth of July. It was nice when
my mother read the story aloud, reminding me of when I was a four-year-old boy being read a
kids story by my mother. My mother told me how proud she was of me writing a story. She
started to tear up and it made me happy knowing that I did a good deed. My dog will forever be
in my memory but now his story is written in ink keeping him eternal.
Time went by about eight years until I was reintroduced into the literacy world again. It
was very strange because a teacher by the name Mr. Kelley helped me reignite my spark for
reading and writing. It was very odd because I never had a teacher that I liked especially a high
school teacher who I thought were all grumpy, undereducated, and boring. I had a very good
impression of him on the first day of school because he has a positive attitude and was very
funny. He lit up the room with enthusiasm making it feel like the end of Footloose where
everyone was dancing having a good time. He also did not just assign us books to read by
ourselves; he would go over the story in class so that we can better grasp the concept of the story.
This helped me very much because I would not get the idea of the story for I was a visual
learner. He would properly act out the scene in the book so that we can understand what is going
on. Later on I could see clearly what the gist of a book or novel was without his guidance.
Throughout the year he assigned a short story due every two weeks. Normally I would just be

satisfied with an A but it is what he said that intrigued me. He said that no one in all of his years
here at Paraclete has received a perfect grade on these short stories that he assigned. Personally I
love to accept challenges and I thought to myself how hard could this be. I was determined to be
the first to receive a perfect score because I like to do the impossible. So throughout the year I
kept on trying to write a short story that would blow the pants off my teacher. In the end I never
got a perfect score that I strived for but all the motivation pushed me to enhance my literacy
skills and the highest grade I received on the short story was 99%. In the story of Mike Roses I
Just Wanna Be Average Mike Rose has a similar relationship with his teacher. My teacher
caught on to the fact that I did not like reading and writing. When I reveived my first essay back,
I was pulled aside after class and Mr. Kelley told me that I can do better. Mike Roses teacher
also gave the same motivation when he said, Listen, you can write (Rose 6). Both of our
teachers saw the talent within us and did not want that to go to waste.
In conclusion my reading and writing skills have evolved from different experiences
within my life. My mother gave me the motivation to have literacy skills so that I can have a
successful future in whatever career path I choose. My story about my dog Hershey will forever
be a fun memory of what writing is all about. My English teacher Mr. Kelley shared his
enthusiasm toward reading and writing encouraging me to better myself in my essays and
understanding the plot of a book. Throughout this whole story I expressed my negative and
positive thoughts and experiences on literacy. There where major gaps in my life when I did not
think twice about reading and writing but there where those short moments when literacy became
a top priority. Although I said I do not like reading and writing, I remember these small parts of
my life to help me get through all the boring aspects of literacy and see the happiness written
between the lines.

Work Cited
Rose, Mike. I Just Wanna Be Average. Rereading America 7th ed. Ed. Gary Colombo, Robert
Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedfort St. Martins, 2007. 161-172. Print.