If you only knew the way that you changed my life by writing a book, growing up I was quite bright and excelled in math and science, but when it came to reading or spelling I just couldn't get it. For some reason it just didn't make sense to me. I could not see the logic in it. I understood what all the sounds of the letters made alone but could not put them together. For me "st" sounded like "ed." So later after many years of trying I was in the 5th grade and was unable to read pass the 2nd grade let alone write beyond the 1st grade. The school that I was going to was about to pass me off into the 6th grade. So my mother spent over $1,000 on testing to see why I was having such a hard time with reading and writing. What was found was that I am dyslexic. My mother took this information back to the school board and asked what do we do now? My child is in the getting ready to go into middle school and yet she can not read or spell. In short they did show me the skills on how to read and write with the system of "dissection" it almost like a math/logistical way to spell and find meaning of words. I took to it, but they only cared to see me too a point. Now it would be up to me to use it. As they say the more you use something the easier it becomes to understand. It was much like a mother bird teaching her baby to fly. Man did I ever crash and burn. Many tears were shed but as time went by things got a little easier. My biggest problem was finding things to read that I wanted to (in short practicing). Luckily that year I had a teacher of language arts in my life that demanded that we all read the same book, that book was "FAHRENHEIT 451". my goodness did I ever get into more fights with my mother over that book. I could not stop reading it. All I wanted was time alone to read. This was the first time I read anything that I could see in my own minds eye, which I could hear the characters speaking. It was wonderful. So wonderful I told the teacher that I had lost it, so I could always be able to visit that place when I so needed to, in short I still have that book with me today (along with about 500 others that I have read and not had the heart to pass to on to others). When I finished that book it was a first for me, the first real book I read from cover to cover, that I would not let myself give up on. From there a few years later I found the "THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES." I hope you don't mind but it was a bathroom read. So my mother was using my bathroom and found your book and it moved her as “FAHRENHEIT 451” had moved me. This book started the ball rolling for her to read more. As it had with the more she did read the easier it became. Now please think of it like this, my mother has a harder time reading than I ever I did but once you have the basics it's up to you to master the skill.
I still don't spell that well or read that fast but I can do it none the less. If it had not been for your wonderful stories I don't know if I could say that today. So in short your books have given the confidence to know that I can do anything that I dream to do. I thank you for that. You have given me a gift of hope and that is something that no one can ever take. Thank you always,
Lacy DePue

Wow. Beautiful, Lacy.
I truly hope Mr. B. gets to read your touching and, may I say, well-written post!
What a testimony.
Believe me, you're more articulate than many who didn't have your struggles.
Welcome to the board!
Hope to hear more of you in 2007!

Might I suggest both eloquently expressing thanks AND taking a leaf from Junkman Jonas and passing it on! As Bradbury once said (on the debate between science and religion), "why not a bit...of both?"

quote:

Originally posted by Lacy:
So my mother was using my bathroom and found your book and it moved her...

No pun intended?

But seriously, a beautiful story, and welcome!

Lacy,
You found the butterfly, now you’re one too.