Why We Weed

The first experience I had with reading was when I was five years old. At this time, my reading ability was behind everyone else in my kindergarten class. I had not watched Sesame Street, and consequently I wasn't familiar with Big Bird nor the lower case letters. Despite not knowing how to read, I was still in love with books; being read them or just looking at their pictures. My favorite book was Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel. I enjoyed his stories about Owl's nighttime adventures, discovering the bumps under his blankets or trying to be both upstairs and downstairs. Not knowing how to read, I liked being read the stories. I would eventually memorize them and then tell them to my mom, trying to convince her that I had learned to read. After taking AP Lit I am now able to fully understand how Owl's troubling tone is supported by his terrified diction and how the Owl's adventures were in fact symbols of present day America. But back then was my first experience enjoying books, without reading.