Literacy Narrative Essay

Rob Linton

UWRT 1101

Literacy and my Identity

Have you ever heard of the saying Brain vs Brawn? It used to be that the strongest
people received all of the power and glory. They were also rich and successful. Today, that is
rarely the case. Besides professional athletes, people have to rely on their intelligence and
literacy skills to be successful and get far in life. An important fact about literacy is that it deals
with critical thinking in terms of knowing how to handle serious situations and how to solve
various problems. Literacy experiences that have influenced me in forming my identity are the
modern technologies available, my senior exit project, sports, music and the lyrics within them,
and parents.
As a child, I grew up with a physical disability known as a lazy eye. I remember telling
my mom I can see two of everything! This made it very difficult for me to develop the skills
needed to be successful throughout my K-12 grade school adventure. I received glasses in
kindergarten to help me with my reading and writing skills, which would, overall, help me with
concentrating and my critical thinking skills. One thing that had an effect on my literacy
experience during my childhood was the technology available. I remember we had tape recorders
and CDs that would read our books along with us. This is an advancement that generations
before us did not have, which has made it easier for my generation to help us learn and expand
our literal horizons. I enjoyed this because it helped me realize how to pronounce words and how

to read in my head. Despite the technology I had access to as a child, it does not come close to
the comparison of todays technology.
Technology today has had a big impact on literacy for all people. I mostly feel that
technology today has impacted me negatively in my literacy experiences. One of the ways it has
affected people are through cell phones. Cell phones have opened up totally new social norms
and folkways that have affected how people of this generation think and act in public, which
ultimately affects their critical thinking skills. For example, if someone does not have their read
receipts on and you send them a text, and they do not respond, you think I bet they read that and
are ignoring me. Also, the internet has had a huge effect on my literacy and critical thinking
skills. It used to be that everything was looked up in books. Dictionaries for definitions. Indexes
to find where something is located. Libraries to gain knowledge. Now we have google search.
Google search for this. Google search for that. Google basically runs our society. We as humans
are lazy and do not want to take the time to look something up in a book at the library, and would
rather take the shortcut than work hard. This also affects us mentally with laziness because we
never want to get up and do anything. We want to find the easiest was to do something,
involving the least of efforts.
Another way my literacy has helped shape my identity is through sports. In high school, I
played rugby, ran track, and ran cross country. Reading does not have to just occur in text. For
example, as a rugby player, you need to be able to read the plays that the opposing team is trying
to execute in order to win. Also, you need to know where to be when your side is attacking in
order to read and execute what is going on offensively. The same goes for football. The
quarterback reads the defense and changes plays in order to win games. This all comes back to
being literate and being well developed with your critical thinking. Professional teams practice

the I.Q. Test to see how well athletes can think under pressure, and psychiatrists use this to
assess patients critical thinking skills. Sports are a major part of the world and most would agree
that professional athletes need to be able to read plays and be able to execute to be successful.
Sports have helped me with my critical thinking and literacy, and has helped define myself and
who I am today.
A positive experience I had with literacy was my senior exit project. My senior exit
project was an argumentative research paper on the debate of animals and whether or not they
should be used for research to benefit society. This paper really helped me gain the skills on
writing an argumentative paper, which is a necessary skill for college. It taught me how to
properly use MLA format and how to cite information, how to write a research paper, and how to
choose a great topic. Another part of the senior project was to create a product about your paper
and write a six minute speech about it. I created a childrens book about a lab rat named Norm.
This is based off the research that I obtained from UNCCs research department. This project
enhanced my literacy skills and it taught me how to write a speech and research paper which
prepared me for the transition of high school to college.
The main way that my literacy skills have been enhanced is through music and the
different styles and the lyrics. I have been involved with music ever since the fifth grade when I
got my first guitar for Christmas. I picked up cello in the sixth grade and have been involved
with both along with some other instruments. After starting the paper, I came to realize that
reading sheet music is a type of literacy. You have to be dedicated and think constantly to
execute and perform well. Music is one of the biggest parts of my life and has definitely shaped
my identity. Lyrics have also had a big effect on the person I am today. For example, in the song
Floorboards by Real Friends, they sing Dont let me fall off the edge and break downjust

another week, and Ill pick myself up off my boney kneesbut still Ive got these sleepy eyes
that have seen too much for me to handle. Lyrics like these are powerful, relatable, and
inspiring for when I try to write lyrics for songs for my band. Another example of great lyrics is
from Four Years by The Story So Far. They say All my friends have gone away. Sailing
vessels, leaving the bay. For the best four years and the promise of pay. But they don't even
know what they're chasing. Any college student can relate to this, whether through leaving best
friends, or looking for a great job accompanied by money, yet still going through life blndly
because no one knows what the future holds. All of these quotes prove that songs help shape
identities.
My parents have had a huge impact on my literacy as well. My mom would always help
me practice with flashcards, or reading all the children books I could. I remember when I stepped
up to 80 paged chapter books and almost crying because I thought they were so long. I thank her
every day for forcing me to do things I did not want to do at a young age in order to be
successful now. My father has helped me by educating me through scouting. In scouting you
need to use thinking skills in order to complete a task, such as setting up a tent, or executing
CPR. I thank him for keeping me in it to further my skills in leadership and critical thinking
skills.
Literacy experiences influence all of us and who we become. Some include the modern
technologies available, my senior project, sports, music and the lyrics within them, and my
parents. Society is constantly changing and who knows where literacy will take us, or how the
future generations identities will be formed. But one thing is true. Their critical thinking skills
will be the skills that will help them with jobs. With serious situations that need problem solving.
These will shape their identity. So you choose. Brain or Brawn?