Think Ink: Word Play (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780615803104)

I was born in Dayton, Ohio in January of 1956. My parents were 35 and 41 when I was born, an ex-cook and a steal welder, who gave me much love and attention. I was quiet because I was not a good speaker. I was an average student, because I did not read well. When I read words became twisted around and jumbled and I was confused so, I tried to avoid it as much as possible. It seemed that my whole life was consumed with words. I wanted to be able to read like everyone else, but I made it through school the best way I could. I was so obsessed with books that I collected them just for the pictures. I loved books so much that I wanted to write and illustrate them and so, I started writing little short stories for my friends to read and they liked them and told me to write more. I wrote stories for my school paper and it was fun. I wrote bible lessons and taught vacation bible school and I was asked to do more. When I got to college I realized that my reading skills where too slow for me to achieve the things that I wanted to achieve and so, I left for 10 years. I stopped writing, because I stopped hoping; I stopped dreaming, and I stopped believing in myself. One day I woke up suddenly and I started writing a little story about a Rat named Pat and the words would not let me sleep until it was all on paper. The next story came just after that about a gossipy Bee. Another story followed and they just keep coming as if they were lying dormant waiting to get out. I went back to college online one month after those words inspired me and in the fall of 2006 I was writing again and I haven't stopped since. I want to be a published author and with all that is within me I know I will be able to read my own children's books to my grandchildren someday soon. I have always known the importance of good reading skills and I am certain that the lack of them has held me back my entire life. My teachers never knew that I struggled so much, because it was my job to fake it and I obviously did a good job of it. I learned to adjust to my skill level and it was like pulling teeth through tests. I don't know what changed, because I still struggle, but I struggle a little faster now; maybe it is because I write that makes me read a little faster, but I know for sure that writing has helped me enough to raise my grade level from constant C to A at last.