Sunday, November 06, 2005
Literacy gives man new read on life
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Shanna Flowers is The Roanoke Times' metro columnist.
Shanna Flowers
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For 45 years, Joe Dillon made his living as a welder.
At work, when he got into an occasional jam with a blueprint, Dillon asked his foremen to help him out. He never told his supervisors his secret, but he suspects they knew.
In church, Dillon didn't bother with the Bible.
"I never did pick it up," the retiree said last week, "because I didn't know the first word."
Dillon was a spiritual man -- but also an illiterate one.
For most of his life, the Roanoke native, who gave form and function to iron and metal by welding countless fuel tanks, powerful parts for bulldozers and tramways for West Virginia coal mines, was stymied by simple words.
Dillon, who left school as a fourth-grader at age 12 and never returned, hid the fact that he was unable to write checks and read the newspaper or a restaurant menu.
"There's a lot of things I wanted to know, but I'd just back out of the way," Dillon, a soft-spoken man, said in a telephone conversation. If the subject of reading came up, "I'd kinda wander off ... or maybe laugh it off."
Or, he added, change the subject.
Like 40 million other Americans -- 1 million in Virginia -- words don't come easy for Dillon. But last month's revelation by "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino that she is functionally illiterate -- and the heartwarming story of Dillon, who is learning to read in retirement -- offer the worthwhile lesson that adults can confront and conquer their lifelong shame of illiteracy.
Barrino, whose "Baby Mama" song has become an anthem for teen mothers, revealed her troubles in a book dictated to a freelance writer and in an appearance on ABC's "20/20."
"The private part of my shame," the North Carolina native said in her book, "is that I want to be as smart as everyone else. I want to be wise about my own money, I want to be able to understand a contract ... and not have to ask someone else what it means. I want to read a script ... instead of needing someone to go through it with me."
When a celebrity admits a flaw, America suddenly finds a cause celebre. Barrino's confession should inspire poor readers to confront their shortcoming and motivate volunteers to give their time to those so needing of it.
Americans need to understand that illiteracy is not just someone else's private struggle but an economic drain on the nation as well. According to a National Association of Manufacturers survey, 40 percent of manufacturers cite workers' insufficient reading, writing, math and communication skills as a principal reason they cannot implement new productivity improvements.
A 2005 survey conducted by ProLiteracy Worldwide found that employees' limited reading skills costs U.S. businesses and taxpayers an estimated $20 billion annually in lost wages, profits and productivity.
According to a National Adult Literacy Survey, 25 percent of adults in Roanoke are functionally illiterate; 14 percent in Salem; 14 percent in Botetourt County; 13 percent in Roanoke County; and 14 percent in Montgomery County.
"One of the issues with basic literacy [is that] there's a real stigma," said Annette Loschert, executive director of Literacy Volunteers of Roanoke Valley. "It's hard for them to step forward and even admit they have a problem. A lot of frustration occurs. The self-confidence level is very low.
"One of the biggest fears is being found out," she added.
At 17 or 18, Dillon found his calling in welding. "It just comes so good to me," he said. As a welder, Dillon was good with mechanics. He developed parts to make work easier at the shop. He taught others how to weld. He oversaw other welders.
But there were times when even his superior welding skills couldn't compensate for his illiteracy.
"I could read some of the blueprints, some of the simple ones. ... You gotta know what they meant. A lot of it, I didn't. A lot of it, I did."
Dillon said he'd "always get in pretty good with the foreman" and "somehow or another, I'd have to get a little help from them." Even though there were times the retired welder said he "was embarrassed to death," the bosses never asked questions.
"I think they kinda knew it," Dillon said of his secret, "but I didn't let my guard down. I always had so much [welding] knowledge. I didn't have the reading, but I had the knowledge."
At the urging of his ex-wife, Jackie Lemon, Dillon sought help. He went to Literacy Volunteers three-and-a-half years ago, where he was paired with retired audiologist and administrator Dick Hawkins of Roanoke.
Dillon's early goal with Hawkins was to read food labels. Since then, lessons have included street signs and reading his mail, such as letters from the state Department of Motor Vehicles, to make sure he understands the instructions. Now, he's reading books and recently finished one on Rosa Parks shortly before her death.
"He's really shown improvement," said Hawkins, 73. "It's slow, but it's sure. That inspires me to keep working with him." The tutor added, "He's so enthusiastic.
"He really wants to learn to read better. He wants so badly to be able to pick up a newspaper and read it."
Dillon developed his own technique to improve his relationship with words. During weekly tutoring sessions, he reads aloud to Hawkins. Hawkins underlines the words that Dillon has trouble with and then records them into a tape recorder. When Dillon gets home, he writes down the words on 3-by-5 cards and listens to Hawkins' pronunciation on the tape recorder.
Last week, when I spoke with him, he held up the tape recorder to the phone so that I could hear the words "federal government" and "survive." Dillon was so proud that he had studied and learned to read those words. Before our conversation, I didn't know him, but I was proud for him. His enthusiasm was heartwarming.
"I'm doing some big words, some hundred-dollar words, not the twenty-five-cent words," he said laughing. "I can't even think about now giving it up. ... I've gotten to where I feel good about learning."
For help with reading or to volunteer as a tutor, contact Literacy Volunteers of Roanoke Valley at (540) 265-9339. In the New River Valley, call (540) 382-7262.
