A Secret He Tried To Hide: Can't Read

Vero Beach man, 52, learns to read after being illiterate throughout life
After working at Parent Construction for three decades, his boss tutors him after discovering his secret
TCPalm: 8.09.2011 by Janet Begley

Sam Bristol has a good life — a high school diploma, good career in construction and nice family with a wife, children and grandchildren.

But like one in five Indian River County residents, Bristol, 52, had a secret he desperately tried to hide throughout most of his life: Bristol can't read.

Hard to imagine? Think about the disadvantages of a life without literacy.

Writing down directions, reading a medicine bottle and filing income taxes are impossible without being able to read. But for Bristol, whose own mother was a substitute teacher in Georgia, the embarrassment he felt was something he carried throughout his adult life.

"When I was at Vero Beach High School, they put me in special education classes," said Bristol. "I was making A's and B's in special education, but that's only about the third grade. I could read little stuff but I couldn't break down big words into syllables, so I really never learned to read."

But sports proved to be Bristol's saving grace, even though he left home at age 16.

6666666

After Bristol graduated, he was hired by local general contractor, Parent Construction, where he's worked for 33 years, doing mostly carpentry and general construction work.

6666666

Merry Parent, who co-owns Parent Construction with her husband Paul, is Bristol's boss, and a formidable woman who doesn't take no for an answer. When Parent discovered Bristol's reading problem, she was determined to help him. For the past year, the pair has been reading together twice a week, using materials from Literacy Services of Indian River County.

6666666

The National Adult Literacy Survey shows Bristol is not alone when it comes to lacking basic reading skills. About 30 million adults, or 14 percent of Americans, can only perform simplistic activities such as signing a form. An additional 63 million, or 29 percent, have only basic literacy skills, which would be necessary to read a television guide to find a specific program. READ MORE !