About Me — RGomez
A kid from Mexico finds the wonderful world of reading and writing: An interview by A. P. Lambert, https://creativeandbeyond.com/
A.P.: Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Castanos, Coahuila, Mexico on June 7, 1950. The pueblo was so tiny it only had one plaza.
Spanish is my first language.
We moved to Chicago, IL, during the summer of 1957. First grade was two months away. I recall Mom and me sitting at our dining room table one afternoon while she struggled to teach me the alphabet — in English, of course.
Mom didn’t speak English either.
I squirmed with angst. My need to learn English was critical. I shared Mom’s desperation as I weathered a tearful panic during those early lessons. I’m sure I would’ve bailed out if Mom hadn’t led me by the hand.
In time, I became an excellent reader. But during those elementary days, I had no clue how reading was shaping my life. As a migrant kid, you see, I stood out in my classmates’ eyes — as different, let’s say. Perceptions soon changed when at last I had to read before the class and they heard I wasn’t so strange after all.
I felt accepted.
It seeded confidence.
