Horton Hears a What?

Fantasia, of “American Idol” fame, has recently revealed she is a functional illiterate who could not even read the lyrics of songs presented to her. She lived with the fear her secret would be discovered and struggled in a world that assumed she could read the contracts placed in front of her. She is currently working with a tutor to help her overcome this obstacle and looks forward to the time when she can read to her young daughter.

I really admire Fantasia’s courage to come forward and tackle what has to be a huge challenge. I cannot imagine a life without the ability to read or write. I take this gift for granted since it has been part of my life for as long as I can recall. My mother read to us children when we were small and I remember being taught Phonics, which unlocked the doors to the quirky English language. No longer did I have to be content with “Fun with Dick and Jane.” I was able to enjoy Dr. Seuss’ “Horton Hears a Who.” And, soon I was introduced to the world of “The Bobbsey Twins” and “Nancy Drew Mysteries.” There was no stopping me. Until now.



I have recently had a small taste of trying to “fake” my way through words that had no meaning. To look at characters and symbols that lay on the page and did not translate into anything meaningful. To blindly stumble my way through a dense jungle I felt ill equipped to transverse. What dark path has challenged me at every turn? Mastering a blog.

While those around me link and illustrate and enhance their journals, I have lagged behind, trying to figure out how to join the race and not reveal my lack of adequate preparation. I have not remained totally quiet in my ignorance. I have sent emails asking for assistance. I have engaged in IM sessions trying to walk through a task, step by step. But each time I have frustrated myself and at times frustrated the “teacher” as well. They have had to resort to broadcast emails asking for back up. Yikes! They did not know how to help me break through the fog that had so completely surround my brain.

But, I was eventually able to absorb the “Dick and Jane” complexities. I might even give myself enough credit to say I have grasped some of the journal intricacies equivalent to Dr. Seuss’ works. I am learning Blog Phonetics. I feel so good about what I have mastered so far that I am going to do what I can to help others overcome their fears.

So watch this place for future lessons, intended for the novice blogger. I will count on those of you who are far more qualified than me, to catch my mistakes and perfect my “pronunciations.” I want to try and assist others who see the words of instruction but don’t recognize it is a form of English.