National Adult Literacy Database

June 4, 2001

On this week, we launched eleven stories written by students from The Victoria READ Society. You can read their stories as well as hear them.

Susanna M. Kidd was born and raised in Alberta, the second youngest of eight children. She left school at the age of sixteen because of inadequate English skills, frustration, and family circumstances. She has held many different jobs including dry-cleaning, house parent, waitress, dietary aide, cashier, and nanny. Due to a lack of education, many doors were closed to her. Susanna has always had a strong desire to return to school. When the opportunity presented itself, she attended Fairview Community College until the upgrading program was cut due to lack of funding. Like many, she is a single mother and a struggling student trying to improve herself to provide for her daughter, and set a good example of the importance of education. The READ Society has provided Susanna with confidence, and the basic skills that she can use as a stepping-stone to further her educational goal of becoming a laboratory technician thus succeeding in fulfilling her dreams.

 

Play an audio version of this story

Matters of the Heart

by Susanna Kidd

Matters of the heart are the most difficult. You never know when your heart is going to betray you. You see a person. Something attracts you to them: a laugh, a smile, a gesture. Before you know it, you are dating and then living together or married.

You believe your heart is true, so you listen as it beats faster every time that person is near you. It must be true love! You work towards a relationship with a zeal never encountered before! Little personality faults are noticeable, but it doesn't matter; you are in love.

Time goes on and pretty soon you are feeling boxed in and crowded. The little faults are becoming annoying. Your patience isn't as long as it used to be. But you keep working on the relationship; the beat of your heart can't be wrong!

Counseling is the answer, you believe, but your partner believes you can work it out yourselves. You agree, against your better judgment! Then reality slaps you in the face. You can only change yourself; you can't make your partner go, or seek the help needed. Do you stay or do you go! You have a family, and your child deserves both parents. You stuff down your own feelings, pretending they are not important. You can do this; you are strong, or, so everybody has told you that you are!

Confusion sets in. You smoke a joint. Ah, that helps. Now you are numb! You can now manage the crazy lifestyle that's now yours. How did this happen, suppressing your virtues and values? Maybe they are right; it's you. Maybe you do need help!

Go off to the doctor. He prescribes a pill. Oh, that's better! Everything will be okay now! Or will it? Through your haziness your inner spirit is yelling at you to, "Listen to me! Listen now! Something is wrong!"