It is a blanket made by loving hands woven with threads of joys and sorrows passed on from generations. It is the structure which holds life together in the global village. But to me reading and writing are only two braces in the loom. We must add to reading and writing the ability to speak, to gesture, to communicate, to understand and, most of all, to reflect. One needs to connect the answers and fit them into the bigger picture.
Literacy is continuous.
I need to use these tools to connect to others, to continually improve on them and reflect on the learning and enjoyment they bring me. I begin to acquire a voice, a sense of assurance about what I know of the world around me. The more I see and understand, the more I am free to wonder, to be struck by mystery, to express doubt. It helps to build that community into a oneness both locally and internationally. The symbol of a truly developed society is one whose members are literate and educated.