Personal Literary History Essay DRAFT 2

(Literacy Narrative Assignment)

By George Ryan Jones

I learned to read when I was 3 years old, as I had language tutors since I was 2, and all of
the walls in my house were covered in books of all sorts. I was a curious child so I taught myself
with some Scholastic materials provided by my parents. I read a lot, continuously increasing the
difficulty, and finished the Lord of the Rings series before kindergarten. I was very isolative
around peers, because I was raised differently. Around 4 I started gaming, since my parents
were very restrictive about TV. I had a habit of idolizing stoic characters in novels, and games I
played, since I didnt enjoy to talk to others when I was that young. After joining public school
rather than Catholic preschool I began to understand the socialization requirements, so I
started changing my actions.
My parents always supporting me academically, but 4th grade I dropped out of the
gifted program I was in, which was supposed to make me skip into middle school, as I felt more
passionate about music production, computer technology, and psychology rather than the
material I was told to study in that program. My mom wanted me to either be a writer, or get
involved in science field. I play several instruments and sing as well, but never for money since
its just an outlet. The way the world was developing I decided upon either Psychology or
Computer Science as a career field.

Though I never planned to be a professional musician, I definitely kept creating projects.

Most of my friends through middle/highschool were also musicians, and several family friends
were psychologists so due to that I can definitely see how things like music, media, and
literature can affect a persons identity. I noticed differences between people that developed
tastes in music, almost as if you can tell their taste by how they dress. For example, many of
those who listen to aggressive music usually have more outgoing personalities, and those that
read novels tend to be more introverted. Your external personality is based off of experiences
and predetermined genetic interests, so its understandable as to why people who act similar
have the same outlets. The Psychologists I knew were much more analytical about their peers
than anyone else I knew, I assume due to what media theyve been exposed to.
I started writing again freshman year, and created a few thought catalogues. I also
began reading religious texts, since they were interesting concepts. The Buddhist texts I read
gave me an appreciation for others considerations, and taught me patience. However
whenever I would attempt to broaden my horizons into other sects it would always turn out
negatively. Works of Christianity or Islam consistently described humans as sin-filled and
attempted to guilt trip innocent individuals. I was raised Christian, but identify as an agnostic. I
would identify as atheist, however the theories currently rely on science that we dont have the
ability to quantify currently. I dont particularly hold any disdain for religious people, since most
have adapted their beliefs to the modern age, but after reading many works and history books I
gained an understanding of the crimes committed.
As a sophomore and junior I moved away, which I believed changed me drastically.
Living in the wilderness and reading Lord of the Flies for 21 days, and other experiences

matured me. I gained more control over my ability to be motivated, once I began to meet
adults I had respect for. I was assigned many books to read throughout boarding school.
Primarily they covered different psychology concepts, like Mans Search for Meaning, The Five
Love Languages, etc. I didnt understand others well for a long time, as such I had a bad habit of
treating others poorly, so going over my mistakes in interactions definitely made close
relationships a lot easier. I read this book that I forget the title of that recommended I start
experimenting with my phrasing, and how I spoke to others. I started doing that and noticed I
was avoided a lot of interaction. My perception was that others were simple, which was
completely wrong and I worked hard to change that. As an ENTJ,
After all this work on understanding others, my principle saw me help a peer through a
difficult time in his life and recommended I major in psychology. I planned to do that for a
while, so I took a few psychology classes in highschool, and entered UNCC as a psychology
major. I read many books on the subject, and still have an understanding of psyches, but
honestly it wasnt something I was passionate at all in so I changed to Computer Science. I can
interact a lot Computer science books arent at all like the psychology counterparts. While
when I read about psychology I started to understand myself and others, Computer Science had
different perks. The Comp Sci books taught me about being methodical, and helped me
organize my life. I still love talking to people about themselves, and I hope to use that skill in my
future career, but I cant see myself doing just that for a living.
Overall I do agree that the literature Ive read has changed me. Its given me hope, and
knowledge that I still use in daily life. Ive used books to escape, as well as deal with my
problems. I hope to eventually write one, when Im much older. If I write a book, it will most

likely be like Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, one that can be interpreted uniquely and
influence the reader.