Читать книгу Letters to the Dead: Things I Wish I'd Said - Ann Palmer - Страница 7

To the Reader

Dear Reader,

Obviously, YOU are not dead or you wouldn’t be reading this now! First off – I am not a trained literary writer. Reading books on writing terrify me, so much so that I have hesitated to submit my written materials for years. Writers seem so well prepared academically, degrees et al, on subjects from many different prospective. If the words “leaning disability” had been invented in my childhood I would qualify. I hated reading. Now I know why. I never remember what I read; otherwise I would be brilliant today with all I have read the last quarter of a century. People don’t understand this. What is simple for others seems impossible for me, and yet, God gifted me with wisdom and deep level of intelligence not academic capability. He/She did not gift me with spelling or grammatical ability either. If the computer does not catch it, I certainly don’t! For required reading in school I chose poetry every time that I could. I doubt if I ever finished “The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner” or any other long poem, etc. I could not understand the early English writers, including Shakespeare or Revelations in the bible. My lowest grades were in English. With my Texas upbringing, I never had confidence in grammar or spelling (those dang spelling bees were so intimidating!) Neither parent finished high school much less college. My mother could spell well because of lifelong crossword puzzles. In college I failed English because I found preparing my dress for a formal dance far more essential than my term paper. It was an automatic failing grade if all ten were not turned in; I missed one. My college major was more socializing and my major was art and Home Economics. When asked what kind of degree I wanted, my reply was a Mrs. From early youth, the only reading I enjoyed was fairy tales, which set a pattern for my life long romantic search for Prince Charming only today he’d have gray hair, if he existed, which he does not. My life had been an adventure – filled with glamour, excitement, travel et al but far more than my share of grief, loneliness, heartaches, hurts and disappointments. When you reach for a star, you must be prepared to fall many times! In my glamour career period I would describe it as a seesaw of hopes and disappointments. This adventure – called my life is my qualification to write – I hope you enjoy my sharing it with you and that after reading Letters to the Dead: Things I Wish I’d Said you will feel that know each of these individuals on a more personal echelon and go out and rent one of their films.