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MeganKelly
ProfessorLynnM.Raymond
UWRT1203
3September2015
OftheKellyLegacy
Readingandwritingwerenotjustmandatoryinmyfamily,buteloquencewastheonly
routetocredibilityandrespect.Fromayoungage,beingthegranddaughterofonethemost
intelligentmenIvemetyet,aburdenofintellectualresponsibilityandexpectationsonewould
onlytaskageniuswithwerecarelesslyplaceduponme.Thatisnottosayanyoftheintentions
wereunkindasmistakeswereforgiven,butthatifIwishedtobethebestinthefamily,asso
manyofmyrelativeswished,thenIneededtoproveitatthestart.Assuch,fromperhapstoo
earlyanage,readingandwritingwereextremelyimportanttomyfamilyandI.
Priortopreschool,havingbeentaughttoreadbyprimarilymyfatherasmymother
workedwhatseemedtobethegraveyardhours,Iwasreadingprolificallyandenjoyingitvery
much.Iwouldreadbooksofallcolorsandflavors,fromDr.SuesstoarticlesinTimeMagazine
(thoughthecontentwasnotnecessarilyunderstoodandmuchofthevocabularywasabovemy
childhooddiction,Ieasilydetectedwhatiswasgeneralaboutandthepurposeofthearticle.)
AfterIlearnedtoreadtheseonmyownIwasnolongerreadto.Inallhonesty,Idonothave
memoriesremainingofbeingreadto,butratherIgatherthismuchfromthepicturesfrommy
youngage.Despitetheearlyindependence(whichmayhavebeengiveninaresponsiblemanner
asitdidseemtowork),IcontinuedtoreadinsteadofplaywithobjectsasIfoundreadingand
myvividimaginationtobefarmoreseductive.Igenerallypreferrednonfictionasitwasgiven

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muchmorerespectbymyfamily,howeverthatwhichappealstofantasynormallydoesntleave
achildsegoandIdidappealtothatsideofmysubconsciousmorelater.
Mymostearlymemoryofreading,thus,wasnonfictionanddeliciouslyso.Ihadscoreda
NationalGeographicmagazineoffmygrandfather,thinkinghimasucker,andIrecallrereading
thatonemagazineoverandoverevenafterithadlostitslusterbothphysicallyandmentally.In
retrospectIcaneasilyseeitbeingfadedwithcornerswornrawofitsyellowborderswhich
almoststrikesmenowasembarrassinglyrepetitive.Theentertainmentakidreceivesissurelya
differentbreed.Easilyreadingthemagazine,yesformorethanthepictures,Iwasabletoclearly
pickuponmostthatitwastryingtosaydespitenotknowingwhathydrochloricaciddidor
whereintheworldEthiopiawas.Iwouldtryandshowthesethingstomyfatherormotherbut,
withtheirage,thenoveltyofthesethingswasnonexistentandentirelydry.So,withnooneto
exploretheseideaswith,Ihadamajorchoicetoface.Icouldeitherkeepreadingandinternalize
alltheexcitementwiththeknowledgethatwhatIwasreadingmayhavenotbeenabigdealorI
couldstopalltogetherwiththepotentialofnolongerbeingtreatedlikeaprodigyinthemaking.
Icontinued.Thiswas,byfar,theeasiestdecisionIhavemadeineighteenyearsandam
likelytoeverhavetomake.Duetoalltheselfmotivationandprogress,thebooksIreadandthe
thingsIwrotewereentirelyofmydiscretion,Iwasabletofullyexploremyinterests(aslongas
thebooksofmyinterestswerebelow$20perbookstorevisit)andthuswasabletowriteinmy
ownuniquestylesbeforeschooland,during,easilymade100soneveryreadingandwriting
assignment.Thisindependencehelpedmenotonlyformmywritingstyleandinterests,butalso
adistinctinterestinbeingquizzicalandaskingquestions.Thenonfictionbooks,then,weremy

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favorites,upuntilIreadHarryPotterofcourse.Myappetiteforknowledgeofthewordaround
me,however,wasneverquitesatisfiedbythesereads.
Now,lookingatwhyIactuallywriteandreadthewayIdotoday,Irealizesomething
veryimportant.Literacyandnarrativesarefarmorethancomprehensionandproduction,they
aretheveryfoundationuponwhichournaturesareformed.Afterall,ifwecannotabsorbthe
realitiesandfantasiesoftheworldaroundustoourbestextent,howcanweradiateanythingin
return?