From STONE SOUP FOR THE WORLD Edited by Marianne Larned , 1998.

Chapter: Jim’s Big Secret Storyteller- Sheila Richardson

Jim Guest is a great guy who had been hiding a big secret. For the past fifteen years, he’s worked hard to be a valued employee at Ames Rubber Corporation. His supervisors knew they could count on Jim to learn just about any job. They knew he would get it done—in record time. What they didn’t know was that Jim couldn’t read. But he wasn’t alone. Over forty million adults in the United States can’t read either.

Jim will be the first to admit that he was never very interested in school. He had other things on his mind. As a child, it was playing. As a teen, it was partying and having a good time. No one knew Jim couldn’t read or write, and he tried to keep it that way. “When you don’t know how to read, you find ways of getting around it,” he explains. “People who can’t read have a bag full of tricks to hide their handicap. To pull it off, you actually have to be pretty smart. Being illiterate is definitely not the same thing as being stupid.”

Jim hid his secret well, until one day when it came crashing in on him. He was chosen to participate in a special company project and was asked to take notes at a meeting. Jim was trapped with no way out. He decided to tell his boss, Bob Kenna, the truth-the three words he had been hiding his whole life. “I can’t read.” He didn’t know what to expect. Would his boss understand? Would he be throwing away years of hard work and loyalty?

When his boss said, “Don’t worry about it, we’ll work something out,” a great weight was lifted from Jim’s shoulders. After hiding the truth for so long, he was finally free. A few months later, Bob asked Jim if he wanted to learn how to read. He explained that several Ames teammates had been trained as tutors by Literacy Volunteers of America. He could work with one of them and learn to read on company time.

Jim was overjoyed. “I jumped at the chance,” he said.

Under the guidance of his tutor, Sandy Rochelau, Jim began taking reading lessons for an hour and a half every week. He learned the skills most people acquire in grade school. At first his progress was slow, but gradually he improved. For two years, Jim was faithful to his weekly tutoring sessions. He had a special goal that kept him going. He wanted to be able to read to his new son, Kyle.

Several months passed, during which Jim and Sandy hadn’t spoken. They one day Sandy received a phone call from Jim. He had just finished reading his first novel, Robinson Crusoe. “Thanks for making it possible,” he said.

Sandy remembers that as one of the golden moments of her life. “It just doesn’t get any better than that,” she says. “I’m so proud of Jim. And I’ve gotten as much out of it as he has.”

“It’s hard to express how I feel,” Jim says. “Words like pride, accomplishment, self-respect, self-confidence, and security come to mind, but also hard work, drive, challenge, and commitment. It has not been easy, but it sure was worth it.”

As a result of Jim and Sandy’s success, Ames is giving this gift to others. Their tutors now work with any employee or Sussex County, New Jersey, resident who wants to learn to read and write. And Jim has become their greatest cheerleader, encouraging everyone to learn to read. “There is no shame in not being able to read,” Jim tells others. “The shame is in not taking advantage of an opportunity to learn.”

“When you can’t read, your whole life is a continuous balancing act, memorizing on the one hand; hiding the handicap on the other. What’s frightening is that I couldn’t even read medicine bottle labels for the correct dosage. Thanks to Sandy and Ames, I don’t have to hide any more. I owe them a lot for all they’ve done for me.”

“At bedtime, as I hold my son in my arms, a lot of things go through my head,” he adds. “I have to change the oil in my car. What will I plant in the garden this year? I need new work boots. But all these thoughts fly out of my head when Kyle tosses The Cat in the Hat in my lap. A few short years ago, I could not read even the most simple story to him. It won’t be long now before his mother finds us sitting at the kitchen table doing homework together.”

The Boulder in My Life

All through my life, a boulder was in my way.

I tried to move it. It wouldn’t budge.

I tried to pick it up, or break it.

I could only chip at it.

So, for most of my life, I managed to work around it.

Then one day, there was no way out.

I looked at it, and admitted it was a problem.

Help came.

Together we chipped away at the boulder.

Then, we pushed it, tugged at it.

We managed to move it, slowly at first.

It started to roll, then faster and faster.

It rolled off a cliff and broke in pieces.

Today I can read.

And though I still have some problems, there’s help.

Thanks for the help.

Jim Guest