My Literacy Journey

To tell you the truth, I have the memory of a goldfish. My childhood memories come to my mind in tiny fragments to never complete a whole scenario. However, I do remember very clearly the way I felt in those certain situations, and in each of those moments I learned things that I have kept with me until today. One significant aspect of my early childhood memories, which I remember vividly, was the demand to learn. I don’t know if this is a part of American child-parent relationships, but it is definitely a part of Kosovar ones...

When you live in a post-war country like Kosovo, education always comes first. That “demand” or “pressure” that I mentioned earlier was something that I certainly did NOT enjoy when I was 4-5 years old, but now I can look at it from a different perspective and honor my parents’ actions. I was born right after the war ended, so my parents were doing their best to offer me a proper education while the whole country was being rebuilt.

I seriously loved the very beginning of my literacy journey - or rather, the beginning that I recollect. I liked sitting down with my mom and having her explain to me each letter one by one. I also remember her hand on mine, helping me direct the pen as my fingers trembled and weakened. My mom was my first and favorite teacher, then came my three older sisters who also guided me throughout my learning.

Basically, I had already gone through the first grade ABC-book more than a year prior to actually starting school. I was able to read words and write them down. Slowly but surely. My mom used to strongly disapprove of my handwriting. She probably still does since I haven't improved much on that...

I remember every night after dinner we would do riddles or read stories. A huge part of who I have become is a result of these moments when my family would spark my imagination and creativity. Storytelling, for example, has followed me throughout my whole life. My father and grandfather would share so many stories with me, and as I grew up I wanted to write those stories. Be in those stories. So, I soon became a songwriter, and also started to write poems and lyrics.

However, reading and writing would not hold such an important place in my life if it weren't for my family's care and dedication. They carried those passions to me at such an early age, and now my life changed because of it... My literacy journey evolved under interesting circumstances, but I believe it was worth it. I went from learning at a school with bullet holes in its walls, to studying at a university on the other side of the world. I hope one day that I could pass on my experience and values to someone else who find themselves in a similar situation that I was in, and share the importance of reading and writing, especially in another language.