Today is National Read Across America Day, also known as Dr. Suess Day.

From Dr. Dre to Dr. Suess, I have always loved words. I think most book loving readers would agree they feel the love in return from books while we read them.

When I was a kid I was a horrible student, I couldn't handle sitting still in class. The formatting of most of my classes drove my mind into a maddening boredom.

My grades reflected my inability to adapt to the school day lineup. My report card was one every parent, and teacher would struggle to let fly.

I graduated high school in the bottom 5% of my class. I also read as many books as I could squeeze into a day. I loved reading.

My dad would often try to encourage me to stay away from the D's and F's as a kid, but I don't remember a report card without them.

Anyone who has read my unedited stories will also see my glaring issue with being able to remember any grammar rules. The rules have just never stuck in my brain.

These days when writing books I pay a couple people to grammar hammer my words and fence my words in.

I write mostly poetry and self help style material. I have published one book called: Rhythm Wisdom: The Endangered Humans Traveling GuideIn December I released a full length audio poetry album: Cage Free Poetry.

My second book Words and Wolves in the process of being polished by people who understand things like diagramming sentences.

My dad told me as a kid he understood I couldn't grasp school, but encouraged me to read. He told me I would need to learn some way, and the way he encouraged was trying to find things I loved and read about them.

I lived at the library. I wore my library card out. I didn't have overdue books because I didn't keep them long enough to acquire late fees.

I always completed every book reading challenge in school, anytime there was a Book It contest I was game. Anytime there was a reading pages for prizes, and pizza payout I was in it to win it.

In school because I was a strong test taker, and couldn't focus for more than twenty minutes at a time I received the label of bad student.

I believe the key for me was even though I felt like a complete moron in school, I never felt like I was behind in this world because I read so much.

Years later I found myself a single parent with little parenting skills, and both my mentors in my life told me to focus on my strengths and not weaknesses.

Both mentors told me to read a book to my daughter every day, well I loved reading and so did she so we read all the time.

That first day I got that assignment I drove to a book store and bought every Curious George Book they had.

When my daughter arrived at kindergarten they asked if they could test her vocabulary since she appeared to be advanced in that area.

Her test results came back she had the vocabulary of the average 16 year old.

I've seen the surveys saying there is a drastic decline in reading, and even more of a drop in reading to kids.

Let me rally around the readers, and writers by saying there is no doubt in my mind that the quality of my life rests heavy on all the shoulders of authors who hammered out books.

Let me encourage you to read, and encourage your kids to read the things they love.

If you or someone you know can't read there is an amazing group in Sioux Falls willing to help contact REACH Literacy.


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