Matt Miller

English 101

Professor Meehan

February  3, 2010

Previous writing and reading experiences

In my life, I have had many memorable experiences with reading and writing. From elementary school and all the way to high school I have had writing and reading experiences that today help me and give me motivation. Every paper I write, and every book I read becomes a part of who I am. Before I got to high school, my view on reading and writing was like Birkets, because I wasn’t quite in a technological age. Looking back, life with less technology wasn’t the worst thing. The days when technology weren’t important is when I believed to be a strong and interested reader.

In elementary school the most memorable experience I had was when I was in fifth grade. The whole class had to write a memoir of our years in elementary school. Five were picked out of the class to present in front of the school and parents, and I was one of the presenters. This experience gave me confidence about my writing, even today. I still remember to this day what I wrote in that memoir.

The most memorable reading experience I had in elementary school was captain underpants. I know that it sounds silly know, but then I would read the entire series in one day. It was something about the books that really intrigued me. I stumbled upon one of the books in the series the other day and I actually read a little bit. It made me think about my childhood. I feel as a younger child what you read is still important to you even when you get older.

In middle school, I didn’t have any particularly memorable writing experiences, but I had a lot of reading experiences. One was the catcher and the rye. I loved that book, and I thought the plot and the climax of the novel were very moving. This was read by my whole class along with my teacher as well. It was great to have everyone’s perspective of the book in their own way.

My favorite book series during this time was the Lemony Snickett, a series of unfortunate events series. I read all seven books in the series when I was in 7^th grade, and I read the whole series 3 times during middle school. I remember reading this series every night before I would retire to bed. It was something about the books that made me feel like I was a character in the novel.  I read the first four books of the harry potter series in middle school as well. I remember going to see the movies in theatre and being so excited to watch them. Little memories like these are what are carried with me throughout my life.

Over the next four years, reading and writing became a very intricate part of my life. Reading and writing during high school is what allows you to succeed, and in my life became more important than technology.  How you read and write during high school almost indicates your future. I remember dreading to do term papers, but by the end of writing them enjoying the fact of reading the newfound novel. Like how Woolf looks back in Birkets novel on her college writing experiences, my experiences in high school are one in the same.

My senior year Term paper was on a novel called Robinson Crusoe. I was skeptical about choosing this novel but I thought I would just do it. As I got deeper and deeper into my paper I became deeper and deeper into the novel. When I would read I would drift away from all of reality and become apart of the novel, thinking about sitting on a deserted island with no one to talk to besides a native who cannot speak your language. This made me think about how deep one has to think to write novels of such great magnitude. Because of my dedication to my paper and this novel, I was able to receive a good grade for working hard on my paper.

It was during my high school years that I read my favorite novel to date, When I picked up Mitch Albom’s the Five People You Meet in Heaven. When the man in the novel was going through the five stages, I was with him. When I find a novel that excites and intrigues like this did, I would lose all concept of time and reality. Being able to read and write so easily will help me now and in the future.

Most people in the world don’t know the power of reading and writing, which is disappointing. I agree with Birkets when he says technology is taking over, and eventually it will be in complete control, but reading and writing are solid foundations to life, and they will never go away.

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