National Adult Literacy Database

August 30, 2004

The following story was written by Sharon Jackson, from Midland, Ontario. Sharon is a learner at the Midland Area Reading Council. She loves to learn new and different things. She participates in the Creative writing group every Monday afternoon. Sharon facilitates as a peer tutor in the computer room.

Story

by Sharon Jackson

Hi my name is Sharon Jackson and I would like to tell you a story about me.

It was in about 1995 when I just had enough of everyone around me and that's including myself because I didn't know how to read or write. I thought one day I was going to do something about it but it was going to be hard.

I was in abusive relationship and I didn't want the teachers to know. So I had to ask my partner at that time if he would mind if I went to school to learn how to read, write and do math. I was afraid for my life to even ask him. He said that it was going to be all right.

I started school and it was at The Midland Area Reading Council but in Port McNicoll. The lady that I had was very nice and she helped me to do the work that I needed to do.

Weeks went by then the bruises started to show more. Then my partner started to tell me that I was still "retarded" and told me that I wasn't going to school! And that I was seeing someone else behind his back but I wasn't.

Despite the consequences I went to school and came back home each day. Just after 2 months of getting help on my reading, writing and math, I had to stop going to the Midland Area Reading Council because the pain I was going through was too costly.

I didn't want anyone to find out about the problem I was going through and I felt more a shame of not knowing how to read, write and do my math. I was very afraid of wanting to learn more and to deal with leaving my partner.

Years went by and I was so tired of getting abused from my partner and it took one day of March 2/2000 until I came to realize that if I don't leave him this time he will kill me and that's one thing I wasn't going to let that happen to me.

Now it's 2004 and I am moving forward with my life and I love every bit of it. Now I have a wonderful husband who love's, cares, respects me and wants to do everything with me. Now I'm back at school with my husband to learn how to read, write and do math.

I love coming back to The Midland Area Reading Council because you could never stop learning anything as long as you put your mine to it.