Future Literate Max

    Ahh, I can see it now.

    My ears are serenaded by a chorus of waves and the sun disappears beyond the horizon, marking the end of another day in Paradise.  I hesitantly remove myself from the cocoon-like water and roll onto the deck of my newly purchased Ferretti Yacht.  Life is good.  In the midst of drifting off on the deck I am awakened by the beautifully melodic voice of my girlfriend, Selena Gomez, in the distance.  Awake now, I make my way over to her and find her peering down at a gold-embossed pamphlet of some sort.  Dejected, she hands it over asking that I interpret it.  At first glance, my mind goes blank, the writing on the pamphlet makes no sense.  And then,Voila!  My vast reservoir of knowledge of English Literature comes surging back, and the once untranslatable pamphlet makes complete sense.  The extended metaphor, the irony, the odd structure with enjambment-galore, and the tone all come together to make a menu, yes a menu.  I read off the list of entrees, Tri-Colored Tortellini with Rosemary Focaccia squares, Pepper-Crusted Roasted Beef, Caribbean pork loin... the list of mouth watering choices goes on and on.  Finally, after careful deliberation and a round or two of karaoke we decide to share an order of Petite Broiled Maryland Crabcake served with Old Bay Cream.  Delighted with our decision, we sit back in our hand crafted chairs and stare into the depths of each others eyes.  And so my friends, this is the literary future of Sir Max Satter: travelling around the world on a yacht with none other then Selena Gomez, and in the midst of doing so, interpreting intricately crafted menus.

      While I'll never say never,  the life described above probably won't happen for me anytime soon.  Owning a yacht- maybe, dating Selena Gomez- very likely, getting knighted so I become a Sir- Absolutely, but I would NEVER choose Petite Broiled Maryland Crabcakes over Caribbean pork loin.  Also, I'm guessing that future literate Max won't be deciphering creatively written menus, but instead will be reading literature for pleasure and either affadavits or quarterly net gains for work.

     No one can say for sure what his/her future is going to be like, what car he or she will be driving, where he or she will be living, what job he/she will have, and what role literacy will play in his/her life.  I am no exception to this universal law.  I can however tell you several things about my future that are as close to guarantees as possible.  I will almost surely continue to read for pleasure and hate autobiographies, and literacy will play a huge role in whatever job I pursue.  Now, when I say literacy I mean much more than reading and writing, after all, literacy is much more than that.  The essence (in my mind) of literacy is the ability to think critically.  The ability to grasp abstract ideas and analyze information, whether it be written word or in a numerical fashion is absolutely essential to think independently and even more so for the fields that I am interested in: Business and law.

    So, while I'm not sure exactly how my literacy will play a role in my future I do know for sure that I'll rely upon it day in and day out no matter what path I choose for myself.