Literacy by Linda Winwood
I am a motivational speaker for all readers and writers. As a young girl, I could not read or tell time. Even at the age of 37, I still did not know how to use a library.
My story is how I overcame not being able to read and how I sought help from others. Today, I am a nationally and internationally published children's author. You will learn of my struggles and how I found help as a child and as an adult. The fears and insecurities that I have had since a child kept my book in a drawer for three years before going public. I self-published my first book for two years before it was picked up by a national publisher.
That little book sold 13,000 copies the first season, was on the Christian Booksellers Association Top Ten Best Sellers list in the fall of l994 and it was the beginning of a series of books called "The Mommy Series". Today the book has sold over a half a million copies and in December 2002 it came up as #7 on CBA's Best Sellers List again. Not bad for a kid who could not read!
My presentation is informative, humorous, motivating and will stroke the hearts of everyone who struggles with learning issues today. Our children need to see and hear from adults who aren't afraid to come forward and tell of their own personal struggles as a child. Even as adults we still encounter those same insecurities and challenges, but we build bigger barriers. Everyone needs encouragement and I feel that my experiences show real life victory in spite of the obstacles we can encounter.
Adults may look like they have all the answers. The truth is we are bigger, better pretenders and we should know where to get help and always encourage others to do so. Children and adults need to start early and not wait until they are 40 as I did!
A local newspaper, "The Murrysville Star", ran a story about my Halloween book and motivational speaking. The article mentioned how one teacher made a difference in my life. I sent the teacher, "Mrs. Cooper", the article, my book and a thank you letter telling her that she was the teacher mentioned in the article.
Mrs. Cooper is a resident of Greensburg where she taught school all her life. I wasn't sure I would get a response. I knew she wouldn't remember me. She later showed up at a book signing I was doing at Westmoreland Mall. She introduced herself and said, "I just had to come to thank you for your beautiful letter. My name is Mrs. Cooper."
Mrs. Cooper explained to me that a former teacher friend, also retired, asked her, "Do you think we ever made a difference in a child's life?" Mrs. Cooper responded, "I'd like to think that we have. Maybe some day god will tell us." The next day my letter came in her mail. Now we both had tears in our eyes!
I have now added Mrs. Cooper's story to my motivational talks. It touches and encourages so many people.
