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{SFTH} Ronny's Book* 4/4/01
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We have one of the most heart-touching stories I have read in a
long time today by Judith A. Chance. She is a new writer to
Straight From the Heart and I am hoping all of you will take
some time to give her a warm welcome and let her know
how her story touched you today...
What I love most about running SFTH is the fact that so
many of you write to and encourage the authors who
so graciously share their stories with us. May this
practice continue and may SFTH continue to be an
encouraging and inspirational wave that washes over
thousands of people each day!
Have a great Wednesday!
Michael
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Ronny's Book
By Judith A. Chance
At first glance, Ronny looked like every other kid in the
first-grade classroom where I volunteered as the Reading
Mom. Wind-blown hair, scuffed shoes, a little bit of dirt
behind his ears, some kind of sandwich smear around his mouth.
On closer inspection, though, the layer of dirt on Ronny's face,
the crusty nose, and the packed grime under his fingernails told
me he didn't get dirty at school. He arrived that way.
His clothes were ragged and mismatched, his sneakers had
string for laces, and his backpack was no more than a plastic
shopping bag.
Along with his outward appearance, Ronny stood apart from
his classmates in other ways, too. He had a speech impediment,
wasn't reading or writing at grade-level, and had already been
held back a year, making him eight-years-old in the first grade.
His home life was a shambles with transient parents who uprooted
him at their whim. He had yet to live a full year in any one place.
I quickly learned that beneath his grungy exterior, Ronny
possessed a spark, a resilience that I'd never seen in a
child who faced such tremendous odds.
I worked with all the students in Ronny's class on a one-on-one
basis to improve their reading skills. Each day, Ronny's head
twisted around as I came into the classroom, and his eyes
followed me as I set up in a corner, imploring, "Pick me! Pick
me!" Of course I couldn't pick him every day. Other kids
needed my help, too.
On the days when it was Ronny's turn, I'd give him a silent
nod, and he'd fly out of his chair and bound across the room
in a blink. He sat awfully close -- too close for me in the
beginning, I must admit -- and opened the book we were
tackling as if he were unearthing a treasure the world
had never seen.
I watched his dirt-caked fingers move slowly under each
letter as he struggled to sound out "Bud the Sub." It sounded
more like "Baw Daw Saw" when he said it because of his
speech impediment and his difficulty with the alphabet.
Each word offered a challenge and a triumph wrapped as one;
Ronny painstakingly sounded out each letter, then tried to put
them together to form a word. Regardless if "ball" ended up as
"Bah-lah" or "bow," the biggest grin would spread across his face,
and his eyes would twinkle and overflow with pride. It broke my
heart each and every time. I just wanted to whisk him out of his
life, take him home, clean him up and love him.
Many nights, after I'd tucked my own children into bed, I'd sit
and think about Ronny. Where was he? Was he safe? Was he
reading a book by flashlight under the blankets? Did he even
have blankets?
The year passed quickly and Ronny had made some progress
but hardly enough to bring him up to grade level. He was the
only one who didn't know that, though. As far as he knew,
he read just fine.
A few weeks before the school year ended, I held an awards
ceremony. I had treats, gifts and certificates of achievement
for everyone: Best Sounder-Outer, Most Expressive, Loudest
Reader, Fastest Page-Turner.
It took me awhile to figure out where Ronny fit; I needed
something positive, but there wasn't really much. I finally
decided on "Most Improved Reader"-- quite a stretch, but
I thought it would do him a world of good to hear.
I presented Ronny with his certificate and a book -- one of
those Little Golden Books that cost forty-nine cents at the
grocery store checkout. Tears rolled down his cheeks,
streaking the ever-permanent layer of dirt as he clutched
the book to his chest and floated back to his seat. I choked
back the lump that rose in my throat.
I stayed with the class for most of the day; Ronny never let
go of the book, not once. It never left his hands.
A few days later, I returned to the school to visit. I noticed
Ronny on a bench near the playground, the book open in
his lap. I could see his lips move as he read to himself
His teacher appeared beside me. "He hasn't put that book
down since you gave it to him. He wears it like a shirt, close
to his heart. Did you know that's the first book he's ever
actually owned?"
Fighting back tears, I approached Ronny and watched over
his shoulder as his grimy finger moved slowly across the page.
I placed my hand on his shoulder and asked, "Will you read me
your book, Ronny?" He glanced up, squinted into the sun, and
scooted over on the bench to make room for me.
And then, for the next few minutes, he read to me with more
expression, clarity, and ease than I'd ever thought possible
from him. The pages were already dog-eared, like the book
had been read thousands of times already.
When he finished reading, Ronny closed his book, stroked
the cover with his grubby hand and said with great
satisfaction, "Good book."
A quiet pride settled over us as we sat on that playground
bench, Ronny's hand now in mine. I at once wept and marveled
at the young boy beside me. What a powerful contribution the
author of that Little Golden Book had made in the life of a
disadvantaged child.
At that moment, I knew I would get serious about my own
writing career and do what that author had done, and probably
still does -- care enough to write a story that changes a child's
life, care enough to make a difference.
I strive to be that author.
Judith A. Chance
jchance@telusplanet.net
Send Judith an email and let her know what you thought of her story!
_____________________________
Judith A. Chance is a full-time writer who lives in Alberta, Canada, with
her husband Larry and their two children. She is the author of three
humorous middle-grade fiction novels, and she is writing a humorous
adult nonfiction book. She would like to grow up to be combination of
Erma Bombeck and Dave Barry; considering that she is 42 and female,
she has her work cut out for her.
Quick note from Michael:
("Ronny's Book" also appears in Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul. If
you haven't read this book yet, you are missing out on a tremendous
experience!
(Especially if you are a writer!) I got it recently and highly recommend it!
You can order it here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1558747699/o/qid=986341916/sr=8-1/straighfromthe0a/107-5931457-7011735
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From the E-mail Box!
Quick note from one of our authors, Mark Crider!
Dear Michael,
I can't believe the response I've had from the "Halibut
For Lunch" story from all over the world. I lost count, but it was in
the hundreds. They were from all over the world, literally.
I had to learn how to make group address lists so I could drag the
addresses into them and send 'Thank You' notes to all in large
mailings as it would have been impossible to answer all individually.
I have been contacted by some people in Homer Alaska where the
experience happened and have given them permission to print it in
the local paper. Seems as though there is a lot of discrimination
against those poor people there of that heritage [I wasn't aware
of this at the time] and they want to run it to perhaps show
the 'culprits' how they are perceived by others and give
inspiration to the ones that have worked so hard over the
years to overcome this problem. A thousand responses would be conservative.
It fills my heart with gladness to think/know that you and I were
able to give/afford such inspiration to so many for so little.
Thanks again,
Mark Crider
Corpus Christi Texas
cccoat@swbell.net
If you missed Mark's story, "Halibut for Lunch" you can read it
in our archives at:
http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com/0307011/
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Thought For The Day:
"If the journey is long, take only the necessities. This leaves
room to acquire the necessities along the way."
Verse for the Day:
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths
and rusts destroy, and where thieves break in and steal."
Matthew 6:19
Kid's Thought For The Day:
"Sleep in your clothes so you'll be dressed in the morning."
Parent's Thought For The Day:
"Kids can be a pain in the neck when they're not a lump in your throat."
--Barbara Johnson."
Coach's Thought For The Day:
"The All-American is the one who can run until he
is dead tired, then he can run some more."
Deep Thought For The Day:
"Silence is not always golden...sometimes it is yellow."
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REQUESTS:
From: MommaAnnH@aol.com
Michael,
I want to thank everyone who is praying for my brother. He is some better tonight. The doctor took his catheter out today. He still isn't able to use the bathroom but he is able to get up now. The bleeding has almost stopped also. Thank you and please continue to pray.
Ann
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_
/_/\/\ MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\ / THUNDER27@aol.com
/_/ \ "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
\_\/\ \ Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live for the Son
\_\/ of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20
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