Whether it’s scrolling through a social media feed on the phone or finishing off a book before bedtime, most of us take for granted the everyday pleasure of reading.
But for someone like Ballyfin native, Cathy Clear, the simple act of even scanning a shopping list was a challenge so great she spent her life avoiding the written word, hiding her difficulty from her closest friends and family.
With International Literacy Day upon us, Cathy has now decided to share her remarkable story of overcoming her literacy difficulties through a journey that has lasted more than half a century. Currently attending classes with LOETB, Cathy reveals that it was the heavy-handed approach of “the master” at her old school that compelled her to leave mainstream education at the age of 14 and enter the world of work unable to read or write.
“You couldn’t learn because you were on edge the whole time. For no reason at all he’d give you a slap across the face or catch you by the mouth or the ear. I was on tenterhooks the whole time,” Cathy says.
Cathy’s tale is, unfortunately, one all too familiar to people from previous generations who suffered under an educational system that valued the stick more than the carrot.
Feeling awkward and ashamed by her shortcomings with written language, she would often make excuses whenever she was presented with something to read.
“At 14 or15, I started to work in a fruit and veg shop, but I was feeling uneasy about going because I wasn’t able to read or write,” she said.
“I got friendly with the customers, but then I got to the stage where young people would come in with a piece of paper saying, ‘Mammy wants these,’ and I’d say to the girl beside me, ‘You take these, I’m going to fill the shelves’.
“She didn’t know I wasn’t able to read. That’s how I worked it for years.”
Although she was good at maths, which aided her during her subsequent employment in a country pub, Cathy was again presented with problems when she became a mother, as she was unable to help her daughter with her homework.
It seemed that the barrier towards acquiring literacy would forever remain insurmountable to her, but then, at the age of 68, Cathy reached a turning in the road – quite literally.
Asked by a friend to drive the two of them back home from a party in Dublin one night, Cathy found herself seeking directions from her friend as she was unable to read the road signs.
“I came home and was thinking, ‘she must think I’m a right eejit altogether not knowing where I’m going,’ so I rang her and said I wanted to apologise,” she said.
“I told her I couldn’t read or write, but she said it was no problem and asked if I had ever done anything about it.”
With this friend’s support, Cathy contacted LOETB in 2020 and, after beginning with one-to-one sessions at the Portlaoise Further Education and Training Centre, she has since progressed to a Level 2 Literacy course.
Despite initial fears that stepping back into a classroom would be as unpleasant as her time in national school all those years before, she is enthusiastic about her experience in adult education.
She has started to read in her own time, but even more impressive is the fact that Cathy has picked up the pen to inscribe onto the page her own words.
“I write stories now, my imagination is like a spinning wheel, it keeps rolling,” she says, adding that “the more I’m writing, the more I’m thinking.”
Her writing covers a wide range of topics, from everyday pieces about her dog Pal and trips to Letterkenny or the Japanese gardens, to flights of fancy about leprechauns and Snow White, with her goal being to compile her stories into a booklet for others to enjoy.
As her confidence grows, so does her passion to encourage others to embark on the same journey she has undertaken.
“If I can get one person to go and do exactly what I did, I’ll be happy. Don’t be afraid to let anyone know that you can’t read or write, never be afraid. None of us are perfect.
“I’m good with my hands, I’ve a good imagination. I’m using the brains now that I should have used when I was ten or 12. It’s never too late to start.”
Cathy is living proof that it’s never too late to return to education to improve your skills while enhancing your quality of life.
So, if you would like help with your reading or writing, or to get further information on how you can get involved, contact your local Adult Learning Centre, Laois 057 866 1338, Offaly 057 934 9444, or get in touch with your Regional Literacy Coordinator for LOETB on 085 856 0160, email tlatham@loetb.ie.
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