Words & Banter

RED & BLACK ... Define Literacy

Design by Sawyer Pennington, Underlying photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash


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I have a confession to make, which I’m sure will make you roll your eyes.


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Interesting caveat and probably true.


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Every time we talk with Jackie (Aguilera) from the Mayor’s Office of Adult Literacy and hear what she’s doing in the world of adult education, I feel like I’m back in school and having to take copious notes.


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I am more than happy to send you “homework assignments” as I come across relevant articles and research.

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Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll stick to taking notes. But that does explain why you’re so knowledgeable about literacy.

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But, reading information is very different from being at the forefront of literacy innovation. And, if we had never met Jackie, I never would have realized how literacy is about more than reading and writing.

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But that alone is such a critical part of all of our lives and can make the difference between struggling and success. Although I never stopped to think about any of that before we met Jackie.

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The funny thing is we first met her because of financial literacy.

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Yes, I remember, even though it was over a decade ago. It was shortly after our book was approved as a financial literacy textbook by the (Texas) State Board of Education, and you decided we should go to a Houston Money Week meeting. I didn’t think we were qualified to talk about the topic.

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I did not feel qualified to decide whether or not we could be of any help until I better understood what they did.

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That’s why I let you do the talking when “newbies” had to introduce themselves. Plus, I’d have talked their ears off. But after the meeting, this confident but very approachable woman came striding across the room, extended her hand to me, and introduced herself. At the time, she was Literacy Coordinator at EastSide University.

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All I remember was her energy, commitment, and passion for financial literacy. Not usually a topic discussed with such enthusiasm.

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There’s an understatement. And not only did it take me by surprise, but I hate to admit it, it was contagious. Especially once we started working with her.

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Another confession?


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Maybe. I still shake my head in amazement at the incredibly creative ways she makes personal finance, typically such a “boring” topic, come alive. And how she uses outside-the-box approaches to making learning relevant.


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But, it is not only financial literacy. It also includes digital literacy, health literacy, and even news literacy and environmental literacy. Which is why I am honored that she asked us to create various “Conversation Starters” she could use at presentations and workshops.


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I never imagined they could be used to talk about serious concepts in a light-hearted and fun way. Even if she points out how I was a poster child for not being “literate” when it comes to an assortment of life topics.


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I dislike the term “literacy” because it makes people feel like they are “illiterate” when they do not know something. In reality, they may never have been exposed to the information or given an opportunity to learn it.


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I can tell you first-hand that, initially, I felt stupid until you pointed out I was merely sheltered. But that’s given me so much more empathy when I think of other people in the same position I was once in.


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That is why she likes the “Conversation Starters” – they make the topics accessible in a non-threatening way.


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And helps us realize that literacy impacts every aspect of our lives since it is so much more than reading and writing. Raising awareness of that and talking about it with others, especially our families, can have a huge ripple effect.


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That is the purpose of September being designated National Literacy Month.


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September seems the perfect time to learn something new. It’s like being back in school, except you can put the knowledge to work immediately.


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And, this year, with elections just months away, it is the perfect time to learn about news literacy.


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Oh, I know better …
Photo by michaelmjc on iStock

Is it a way to meet people, share memories, or help the environment? Or is it about bargain hunting? As we've talked about before, garage sales can be about so much more than just getting rid of things you no longer want



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Thanks for the accounting of your garage sale. But, given how many hours you spent preparing for it, and then the actual sale itself, did you calculate how much you “earned” on a $/hour basis?


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No, all I know is that it seemed to take forever to go through everything in Mom’s house and decide what to keep, what to sell, what to donate. And what to trash. As far as the garage sale, I’ll give you your half the next time I see you.


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Keep my half. You did all the work. I did not even offer to help.


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And that was a big help. Thank you.
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Design by Sawyer Pennington, Underlying photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Remember summer reruns on TV? Well, this month’s column is a first … it’s a “rerun” of our July 2020 column, except we added the word “CRITICAL” in the title. Because, four years later, we feel it’s very sad (and scary) that our sentiments about our country’s leaders having the strength, courage, and conviction to be independent thinkers are still relevant (maybe even more than before). So, the Fourth of July may be behind us, but Election Day will be here before you know it.



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I keep forgetting to ask you, since Sawyer is away at camp, what did you do for July 4th?



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Well, it was a very different Fourth of July. No kids. No barbeque. No fireworks.


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I know most of the fireworks were cancelled, but is your barbeque grill broken?


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No, this year I decided to declare my "independence" from doing a big holiday grocery shop, major prep work, and cooking outdoors in Texas heat.


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I wish there were more people willing to declare their independence.



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Somehow I don't think you're talking about me making an easy pasta dish in the comfort of my air-conditioned house vs. standing over a hot barbeque on a hot day.
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Photo by Nednappa for iStock

How you celebrate July 4th may change from year to year (Red will still enjoy a quiet holiday, but this year will be reading as it may take all summer to get through “War and Peace”), but what should never change is remembering WHY (one of Black’s favorite words) we celebrate as well as the sacrifices made to live in a free country …



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This is going to be a very unusual July 4 th for me, with neither girl being home. Natasha always hated the fireworks, but Sawyer would insist we do all the traditional things – barbequing, lots of watermelon, and then watching the fireworks in the Texas heat and humidity. So, this year, I plan to make it a really “cool” holiday … staying in the air-conditioned house, watching a movie or one of my TV series, and celebrating my day of independence from any “mom” responsibilities with a big bucket of freshly popped popcorn!


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Well, everyone celebrates differently. But, when I think of Independence Day, I think about the challenges our Founding Fathers faced when they drafted the Declaration of Independence , especially as they did not always agree on issues. Challenges our nation continues to face (it is a holiday, so I will not get into the increasingly divisive aspects of politics). And, I cannot help but wonder how many people realize the extent of the sacrifices made by those who signed it in exchange for our country’s freedom. Which is why, as we celebrate July 4th, we need to remember,
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.