Literacy is a fundamental human right.

A couple of years ago, I got good and pissed reading the following headline:

State of Michigan says literacy is not a fundamental right

Really, State of Michigan, really? Tell me more about your talent problem.

Sadly, we have fools at the federal judicial level (I'm looking at you, Judge Stephen Murphy III) who agree with the goons in Lansing. Here is the headline that got me fired up more recently, about the very same issue:

Federal judge dismisses suit over literacy rights in Detroit

Um, what now?

Let's think about this. If we as Americans believe in unalienable rights like Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, than how does one expect to improve their life, be liberated from the bonds of ignorance and be happy without knowing how to read or write, pray tell?

Life
How can you be safe if you can't read? If you can't read street signs and you turn the wrong way? You can't read ingredients to avoid the one you're deathly allergic to? Dispute a billing error? How can you use the power of tools like books, the internet and, frankly, instructions, if you cannot read? How do you apply for jobs if you cannot read and write? How do you read stories to your children?

Liberty
How do you know the law, the rules of society? How do you know your rights without being able to read? How can you gain skills that get you a better job, liberating you from poverty, if you cannot read and write? How do you accurately do your taxes and make sure you are abiding by other laws to stay out jail? You know what the founding fathers did? They WROTE the Declaration of Independence.

Pursuit of Happiness
Ignorance is not bliss. Who the hell said that? Why would people proudly tout that they are ignorant? Why would anyone be proud to pass along that kind of attitude to their children? How do you read stories that you relate to? How do you select something new and delicious off the menu? When you ignore the world - complex issues, art, different cultures, politics, poetry, whatever - you do not give yourself the chance for a meaningful life. And when you can't read, you have talking heads feeding you those issues with their spin and their agenda. You don't need spin. You don't need to be part of other people's agenda. You have your own mind and you need your own voice.

So anyway, LITERACY IS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT. There is nothing anyone can tell me to think otherwise. This is not a debatable issue for me. People can transform their lives and the lives of their families through reading and writing. I can see why people in power would not like that. As I think of this, I think of the activist Assata Shakur's quote:

“No one is going to give you the education you need to overthrow them. Nobody is going to teach you your true history, teach you your true heroes, if they know that that knowledge will help set you free.”

Read.

Write.

Let knowledge set you and your family free from whatever it is that has you in chains.

Related links:

• Declaration of Independence, 1776
• Students in Detroit Are Suing the State Because They Weren’t Taught to Read

Hello, again. Let's upgrade.

Life is wild. It really is. I will spare you the details of the craziest ~4 years of my life. Instead, I want to share what I have been inspired to do because of all those trials:

• Writing to live. I have returned to writing in a lot of different ways. I have a personal journal, a work journal and a learning journal. I write appeals and those are really, really taking me back to my journalism roots - be factual, be compelling, be genuine. I am in the process of writing a FY17 plan, helping me back to my management roots, which is an exhilarating feeling. Writing, all of my writing in the last months, has been cleansing. The act of writing calms me down. It helps me learn. It helps me work through problems. Writing is life.
• Reading: books, blogs, articles -- all the reading. Well, I'm like a million books behind schedule already, but I'm trying my hardest and the reading I'm doing is helping me with my writing, as it should. Plus, I'm reading a lot more news and professional writing to support my work, which is great.
• Learning hard AF, daily. Something I realized while viewing old Facebook posts was that I used to post more quotes and more thoughtful statements. I do that when I'm learning a lot and my brain is running on all cylinders. While I'm not particularly interested in going back to sharing more on Facebook, I do want to get back into the groove of SHARING KNOWLEDGE. With everyone: my coworkers, students, friends and, frankly, complete strangers. I'm kind of addicted to sharing information and that's my librarian background talking. Good thing I got this here blog, eh? Plus, as I mentioned, I'm keeping a learning journal, where if I don't decide to share online, I have a little book with big learning nuggets. 
• Regularly hearing the song of my creativity muse. This I have found to be true: when I read and write more, creativity comes easily and naturally. When I was in K-8, high school and college, I wrote excessively. I had things to say and a platform to say them on, through homework assignments, newspapers, etc. Now, I still have things to say and have found that there are still platforms, new ones, for those messages. My work, my life, my reading and my writing all combine for me to be more creative, spread good messages, and find better ways to tell stories. What a time to be alive.
• Listening. Well, if there's ever been a crappier Gemini, only child, attention deficit disorder-ridden, passive listener than myself, I have yet to meet or know of them. Active listening is a huge area of growth for me. I don't do anyone any favors by not listening. I must be better. I have improved, but not nearly enough for my liking. The first step is admitting you have a problem, right?
• "Change my life." This is what I replace "diet and exercise" with. I'm not on a diet. I'm changing my life to include nutritious, planned, homemade meals. I'm not exercising more, I'm trying to change my life where I get up and move every single day. If I don't eat well or exercise every day of my life, than I'm not being good to myself. Diet and exercise plans are temporary. I want to live a long, active, truly healthy life, with a few fun and glorious departures from responsibility, like champagne cocktails, ladies' brunches, Opening Day (and the rest of the season), and beer festivals. 
• Getting in good sleep and waking early. All I have to say about this is that this is the pinnacle of being a 30-something. I find the Sandman is knocking on my door promptly at 10pm each night and, well, I am happy to oblige. The next morning, my early curfew is rewarded with energy and the will to conquer the day.

Hope you can into some of these grooves in your life. It's not easy. You have to make the time and commitment. When you're brain and body are active, you are your best.