National Adult Literacy Database

May 25, 2009

This week, we have a story written by Anthony Curtis, from Toronto, Ontario. Anthony is presently enrolled in the Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) program at the Centre for Community Learning and Development in Toronto.

Piloting, My Dream

by Anthony Curtis

The roaring sound is what caught my attention. I looked up, and there it was, a mechanical bird flying through the skies. I couldn't help but be mesmerized. Amazed by man's creation, I too wanted to fly. I would have given anything to experience this first hand. At a tender age, this was my daily experience.

Having never been on a plane, I wondered what it would be like. I have been at the very top of a tree and was able to see a great distance, so I thought I could probably see the whole country from up there. "I wonder how small my house looks," I asked myself. Then I thought, "One day, I will fly one of those." These were some of the thoughts going through my mind as a young boy.

Life was not easy for me growing up, as money was a scarce commodity in my house. My parents constantly struggled to make ends meet; therefore, very early in my young life, I knew this meant that getting the kind of education I needed, to begin my journey to fulfill my dream, was out of my reach. Knowing that my parents could not pay for my education, I pushed my dream to the back of my mind, and there it remained for the next few years. During those years, I sometimes wondered if my dream would come through.

Currently, I am back, full circle, to that point in my life when I wanted to fly. However, before I can fly I have to make a few stops for improvements. I am currently in school to upgrade my academic skills, as it is a requirement to get into a flight program. Even though I feel my education suffered over the years, and I should be way ahead of where I am now, I think everything happens the way it does for a reason. I have met new friends at school, and I am getting good feedback from my instructors.

Some days I catch myself daydreaming about piloting a plane; "Good morning passengers, this is your captain speaking. I would like to welcome you aboard today. It is now nine forty-five a.m. and we will be leaving for our destination in fifteen minutes, so please go to your seats and fasten your seatbelts. The temperature is now twenty-seven degrees Celsius, perfect weather for flying. This flight should take about three hours and fifty-five minutes, so we should get our destination at about twelve fifty-five p.m., local time, being as we're one hour ahead. I will be giving you updates momentarily and we thank you for flying with us." If only it were true.

"It's been a long time coming, but change is going to come," is the way I think about this dream. It gives me hope and propels me to succeed and reach for the top. Someday, change will happen for me, I just have to help it to come along. Now a grown man, I realized that I am responsible for piloting my own life, which means, piloting my own dreams. I have now started my engines and I am heading full throttle to the end of my runway. The way I see it, the sky is the limit, and I will not stop until I get there. My name is Anthony Curtis, and my dream is to become a pilot.