Malcolm x

            
I thoroughly enjoyed Malcolm X’s excerpt about how he taught himself to be a better reader and writer.  It was inspiring that while in prison on robbery charges, he decided to take some control of his life and future. Malcolm had a role model that he admired because of their vast amount of knowledge and his confidence in any conversation.  Malcolm wanted to emulate him; so he decided to start reading lots of books.  Malcolm soon realized that the reading he was doing was pointless because he didn’t understand most of the words. In order to gain understanding, he needed to back track. He chose to read a dictionary and write down the words and their meanings. He goes on to say “I knew right there in prison that reading had changed forever the course of my life. As I see it today, the ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive.” I can relate to this statement completely because I chose to write my narrative about my own learning experience with reading.  Although my story differs greatly from Malcolm’s, I share his passion for reading and I appreciate the doors it has opened for me. I can also relate to Malcolm when he talks about his ‘craving to be mentally alive.’ What a remarkable way to describe those of us who love to learn! I also feel this ‘craving.’ I love to learn and explore new ideas, as well as learn about the people who came before us and how they shaped what I know to be normal.