The Writing Center

I wrote this post a little while ago, but just never posted it. I did like being a grammar tutor, so here’s in remembrance of when I had a job:

Being a grammar tutor has been a very interesting experience. This may be common sense—I’m good with some common sense, but not really the social kind—but I feel like all English majors are really liberal. Ok, maybe not all, but at least the loud ones.  Quotes overheard at work today (or the past few days):

“Go to h***!”

“I know C.S. Lewis is the thirteenth Apostle, but he’s really not that great.”

“Jesus is definitely a male, but because of the things he has to relate to as a god, I wouldn’t say he’s a man.”

“D*** it!”

“Would you rather know what your career was going to be or who you were going to marry?” “Career.” “Career.” “Career.” (This continued around the table. Apparently English majors are as confident in their job options as IR majors.)

“I’m late to everything. I wish I lived in Senegal.”

“Some people are leftovers from when they had different hiring standards. Like Randy Bott.”

“Let the white male with authority tell you how it’s done.”

This is my favorite book.

Also fantastic.

In any case, they are really intelligent; being able to write is a fantastic skill that I never realized was in such short supply. I credit my average writing abilities to reading over 500 books by the time I was 7. I hope love-of-reading is genetic so that I can tell all my kids to read my favorite young adult books: the Dragon’s blood series by Jane Yolen, the Merlin series by T. A. Barron, the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, any book by Tamora Pierce, the Ender series by Orson Scott Card (not going to lie, I just read those for the first time this Christmas. Best Christmas ever.) The list goes on and on. Then they can move on to the authors I like as an “adult,” like Dan Brown, John Grisham, Malcolm Gladwell, Bryce Courtney, Barbara Kingsolver, David McCullough, and so many others.

I guess what I’m trying to say is I love reading, I enjoyed being a grammar tutor, and I’m excited to teach my children how to read.