Aha! I got your attention. Secrets are a funny thing. When your secret is good news, you want to tell the whole world. When it's gossip, you want to tell at least one person. But when it's something you're embarassed about, you will go to great lengths to make sure no one finds out.
I had the pleasure of doing some work this week with the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County. I emceed a Partners in Literacy luncheon, honoring two people who have made a huge committment to adult literacy in Rensselaer County, CapCom President Paula Stopera and HVCC President Drew Matonak. In my speech, I told the story of Jacques Demers. He was an NHL coach for 15 years. He won the Stanley Cup. He was illiterate, and no one knew.
Demers knew he wouldn't have stood a chance in the NHL if team owners knew his secret. And what he did to protect it was elaborate. He would tell his staff his English wasn't very good, and they would write letters and sign things for him. An assistant would fill out the lineup cards for every game. He memorized what certain phrases like "thank you" looked like, so he could sign autographs. At a restaurant, he would look at the menu, then order whatever his dining companion was having. And many times, he's use the line, "I forgot my glasses," when they were really tucked inside his jacket.
Demers wife was in on his secret and with her encouragement, he got help .He is now able to read and write, although he admits, not very well.
You'd think his story is a unique one. Maybe it is, because of his success. But at the luncheon, I met to a local man who had a low level of literacy, until just a few years ago. As he told me his story, I couldn't help but to think of Jacques Demers. Both men went to such great lengths to protect their secrets. This local man said he primarily worked with his hands, so his every day life didn't involve a lot of writing. But he worked for an attorney, doing investigations and he was quick to go out and take measurements, for example, while his partner wrote up reports.
This local man sought help, because of his wife. She went out one day and left a note on the table, asking him to meet with the Literacy Volunteers. He says it's one of the best decisions he's made. It took a lot of hard work, but you should see the look on his face when he talks about his accomplishments now and how much he loves reading. He is so proud that he can go to a doctor's office and fill out all of the forms himself. Forms we all know are difficult to read.
You might not think about it very often, but adult illiteracy is a huge problem in our country. One in five American adults has a low level of literacy. There are fewer jobs available today than ever before for people with low skills. Taking a wider view of the problem, people who lack basic literacy skills are more likely to suffer from heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer. Their health care expenses are about six times higher than those of adults with average levels of literacy. The children of low-literate parents tend to get poor nutrition at home and tend to do poorly in school.
You'd be amazed at how much literacy programs can change lives. They get rid of the social iscolation that low-literate adults feel, keeping that secret. They help adults gain the skills they need to get and keep jobs. The programs help adults make inroads, in their fight against welfare dependence. Prisoners who enroll in literacy programs are less likely to return to prison.
This really is society's problem. Ask yourself how you can make a difference. There are a number of branches of Literacy Volunteers of America in the Capital Region. If you have time, why not volunteer? What can be more rewarding than giving someone the tools they need to live a better life?
