For me, the definition of literacy has grown and changed over the years. I thought of literacy as simply the ability to read and write; however, over time, I began to realize that literacy is a complex process that involves deciphering and finding the meaning of a piece of text. Like many American children, I was formally introduced to literacy through Dr. Seuss. During my journey, there was a life before Green Eggs & Ham and a life after. After going to preschool, living in Utah, and eventually moving back to Las Vegas after my parents got back together. Crossing the threshold into literacy was the first step in a journey I would continue to take. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay My first memory of literacy was when I spent time with my mother reading various books ranging from Green Eggs & Ham to the Book of Mormon. I enjoyed these books, but I appreciated more the special moments I shared with my mother while we read them. I don't remember much about our reading sessions, but I'm sure I was captivated by the fun pictures in Green Eggs & Ham and impressed by some of the Book of Mormon stories. For these reasons, I can deduce the impressions each book had on me as the beginning of my interest in literacy. This brings me to when I was in elementary school. I spent a lot of time at school, watching a lot of TV and hanging out with my friends. Like everyone else I learned the alphabet, how to pronounce each letter, using what I learned to form words, finally learning to write sentences. Phrases like “the sky is blue” and “the sun is yellow” were commonplace. This introduction/development of my literacy was aided by my reading at home. Throughout my childhood, my mother made sure that I stayed on top of my studies. This, in my opinion, has shaped me into the person I am: responsible and eager to succeed. Additionally, this was further exacerbated by the fact that I grew up in a Mormon household where my family read scripture daily. Many passages were also not easy to read because they required readers to dig deeper to find the hidden meaning behind the passage. Despite my Mormon upbringing, now as a gay man, I find myself questioning and challenging the same texts that helped me with my literacy. Throughout middle school and high school, I read some of the “literary rite of passage” books like To Kill a Mockingbird, Dante's Inferno, and The Scarlet Letter. Although I enjoyed reading, I didn't like the various assignments and essays that would follow each book. At that time, I also had English teachers who were keen that I knew how to write convincingly. They emphasized grammar, which I found boring. However, I realized that grammar is not something that is learned, but rather something that develops gradually with experience. Literacy became even more ingrained in me, especially in high school. As a student who attended an academically demanding magnet school, I felt obligated to participate in the strict regime of taking all honors and AP courses. This was the case in AP English and AP Literature, where we learned how to critically write a poem or essay, as well as how to dissect a passage and make an analysis of it while reading. One of my good memories is that.