I am blessed with the gift of gab and words have always been my occupation. My English language proficiency skills (both written and verbal) is my strongest area of expertise. This was developed and nurtured by my love for reading. This skill has opened doors for me and blessed me with wonderful opportunities. With fond memories, I remember being drawn to reading as early as when I was 6 years old. This passion was shared between me and my 3 other sisters. I guess it runs in the family (at least for us, girls and not so much with my brothers!). My parents couldn't afford to buy us books; however, during our time, our government schools provide us lots of books for academics. How we devoured each and every one of those books, swapping with one another! My mother was always struggling with us to make us stop reading and do household chores. I was always at my wit's end looking for my books only to discover that my 2 younger sisters had rummaged my bag to sneak out my higher-grade level books. My reading skills naturally developed my writing & speaking abilities. These served as my stepping stone to be granted a university scholarship from a prestigious institution. I have had success in my professional career because of the power of words. On the side, I do editing/proofreading either paid or as a volunteer for a digital library which provides free quality eBooks to the world. My fascination with words did not end in the corporate world. As official volunteer in a hospital, I served as a channel in writing persuasive letters of solicitation for patients to receive substantial monetary donations from charitable organizations and philanthropic individuals. One thing is sure, when the time comes that the Almighty Creator calls me to be with Him, for the last time I will have in my hand is the greatest book ever written, my all-time favorite, the Holy Bible!
I've also been a constant reader from an early age and have been involved with the written word all my working life. I have been employed by publishing companies and booksellers and now I'm a freelance content writer. However, in my case my reading skills have not helped me with verbal communication. I'm alright when I have time to think what to say but I'm not good at speaking sponateously. My words never seems to come out right or express what I really mean to say. Writing is how I communicate best. I've also had some training in proofreading and editing and I'm planning to do some voluntary work after I retire. I will be looking out for an opportunity similar to what you are doing for a digital library.
Hi Ruth, Thanks a lot for taking the time to post a comment. Looking forward to have more interactions with you and other fellow seniors! Keep well & safe; be blessed always!
As someone who studied computing, 19th-century literature and linguistics (yes, I know it's a ludicrous mixture) for my degree, I've had a lot of dealings with words. I'm still obsessed by 19th-century novels. I find the use of language fascinating as well - for example, how the same phrase or sentence can have completely different meanings depending on the context. The English language is not an easy one, as evidenced by the native speakers that seem to have such a great deal of trouble with it. This is partly due to the rich variety of sources that we use for our words: Romance languages, Greek, German, etc. This means that I also have a fascination for etymology, which led one particular person of my acquaintance to ask me why I was interested in insects...
I'm glad to have studied in a private school where the medium of instruction is English. I remember in grade school, there was a time when students speaking in Filipino were fined. That is the school's way of encouraging us to speak English. Anyone caught (or heard) speaking in any language or dialect other than English is listed in a roll of violators. During that time, we took that rule seriously. Unfortunately for students now, the medium of instruction is Filipino and gone are the English days. Even the president of the country gives his state of the nation address in the local language. I'm not unpatriotic, of course, I'm just comparing the era where English was dominant versus the present era where English is going to the dogs. Yesterday I saw a Facebook post of a movie director that said - I can imagine the 500 sits. Isn't that a basic error, that SITS instead of SEATS, huh.
The love of reading is a great gift to have. The joy of words and the art of conversation is indeed a good one to have in life. Knowledge can never be taken from you ever! It is a great asset to have this love of reading. There isn't enough time in the day to have to read and learn. I like reading too. I love to research new things. Reading is a great joy for me too as for many people in the world.