Finding Chaucer

Do you remember the first time you truly realized just how hungry you were for knowledge and learning?  I do.  

I've always had a profound love for learning.  When I was in my teens, my Uncle recounted a story of my thirst for knowledge.  I was three years old. Allegedly, I was sitting in the back seat of his Cadillac, holding one of his Jet magazines that he usually kept in the backseat for my Grandmother or any other passengers to read. 

I was holding up the magazine right-side up, appearing to be actually READING the magazine, and he said, “Well, would you look at that?” I don’t remember that, but I trust his account…

I do remember reading and reciting any street names that I’d see, along with anything with words on it: shop signs, graffiti, posters, flyers…really, anything! I didn't realized what this behavior looked like to others when I was doing it.  I was met with amusement from my Uncle…and annoyance from my Sister. My Uncle really enjoyed seeing me learn. My Sister really just wanted me to “Shut up”. Really, I can’t remember a time in my childhood when I wasn't reading everything...especially on car trips with my Uncle!

I guess I just wasn't aware of how much I loved learning-I just figured that’s the way I was.  You know that feeling.  You’re not really aware of something until you've lost it. Looking back, I realize that it was when I lost my access to learning materials that I fully recognized my love for learning.

When this moment happened to me, I had been in the California foster care system for about four years.  I was in my third foster home, a home that lacked love and nurture.  I remember having to live in a room with disgusting pea-green sheets that smelled faintly of urine.  There was a “dummy” television perched on a tiny, dusty TV console. We later realized that the TV was our guardian’s lousy attempt to make it seem as though we had access to all necessary amenities, including a TV in our room. In fact, it wasn't until the social worker left the home that we tried to turn on the TV...and swiftly realized the scam. The television did not turn on; when you tried to, all you heard was a click.  We checked behind the TV to see if it was unplugged. To our surprise, we found that there wasn't a cord attached to the TV at all! We knocked on the TV-it was hollow. The TV was literally EMPTY! We laughed at the sheer preposterousness of the situation, but it was sad, too.  It was yet another letdown in a series of letdowns.

One day, as with many other days in that house, we were as bored as dirt. My sister had let the house to play in the backyard.  I was lying on the floor next to “Dummy TV”. I happened to glance at the dusty console and spotted a strange-looking rectangular object. Is that a book?  No, it couldn’t be, I thought.  I almost stopped because I thought I might find a rat, roach, or some other unpleasant creature hiding in the clumps of dust and grime. My curiosity quickly overcame that instinct, and I opened the door and found a book. 

It was a thick leather-bound tome, dusty on the outside but nearly pristine inside (although musty) from years of disuse and neglect. Excitedly, I wiped the grime from this beautiful surprise. I saw the title of the book: The Canterbury Tales. Hmm...interesting, I thought. I looked at the name of the author: Geoffrey Chaucer. Hello, friend, I thought.

For the next few hours, I poured through this very dense work of literature. Boredom was replaced by rapt engagement as I luxuriated in intricate phrasings and interesting tales. In my mind, I’d traveled to Chaucer’s England.  

I deciphered Middle English without realizing it until much later, when I took an advanced English course at Santa Monica College. My favorite tale in this inaugural reading of The Canterbury Tales was “The Wife of Bath”.

That day, I knew I’d found a treasure. I wouldn't realize how great a treasure this finding was until years later.  (I totally should have kept the copy I’d found!) That day I found out just how far I’d go to get an education and to learn all that I could. My passion for learning was acknowledged in my spirit through this one act. 

Now that I think about it, I can’t believe that I braved the possibility of encountering unwanted pests just to get to that book! But I did.  And I've never stopped finding ways to educate myself and learn more about the world around me. When I found Chaucer’s book, I discovered my propensity to seek knowledge and wisdom. This consciousness continues to sustain my pursuit of life-long learning to this very day. Chaucer, I’m so glad that I found you…

[This entry is written in honor of  National Foster Care Awareness Month.]