If Only I Could Read

by Robert Cox

Imagine living most of your adult life without the ability to read. Unfortunately, this is a sad reality for approximately 32 million Americans. Robert Cox was once one of them. This is the story of a man who, try as he might, simply could not figure out what was wrong with him. Constantly asking himself if he was simply too dumb or stupid to “get it,” he overcame obstacles and experienced a colorful life. Despite his success, he can’t help but wonder how much better life would’ve been, if only he could read. *** Excerpt *** Outside of the few good moments I had in grade school, my reading problems seemed to be getting worse. Somehow, I made it to the 8th grade. At Trinity Heights, 8th grade was considered grade school, while the Dallas school system considered 8th grade as junior high. So, I started attending Boude Story Junior High. I was very concerned about the upper classmen I’d encounter there. I had heard rumors about what they would do to first year students. I’m so grateful that it was only a rumor. Nothing bad happened to us. I remember our History teacher would have each of us stand up beside our desks and read from whatever book were studying. I despised having to stand up and read. The teacher started at the end of one row of students and moved one by one down the row before starting over at the next row. Each student would stand, read, and then sit back down. The closer it came to my turn, I’d get nauseated and my whole body would start to feel numb. My legs would become so stiff, I was sure that I would not be able to stand. When I tried to read, my body seemed to freeze, and the words would not come out of my mouth. There were some words I recognized, because I’d seen them so many times, like “he,” “she,” “we,” “you,” etc. But there were many more words I didn’t recognize. Many times, the teacher would help me when I got stuck on a word, by saying the word for me. But even with this help, I still couldn’t say the word. Out of the corner of my eye, I would see some of the students snickering. I was so embarrassed, I just wanted to throw the book on the floor and run out of school. Here I was, two years older and a head taller than most of the students. I felt like I was the biggest dummy in the whole school system. Even worse, all my classmates now knew that I was dumb and stupid. What could I do? Nothing. At times like this, I would rather kick a grizzly bear in the butt than read aloud in class. At least the bear would probably eat me, and then I would never have to read again. Oh, what a relief that would be.

126 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 14, 2020

Reviews

[Linda Klager · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a story!

Our local library group invited Robert Cox to come and present his life story and it was very inspiring. At the meeting, Mr. Cox sold and autographed his book.

Can you imagine living with being dyslexic and doing all the things he did? I know that only with God's help, that could happen!

The book is very easy to read and has many photos and letters of recommendation from Robert Cox's life.

I was very glad to have met this gentleman. I wish I had known him when he was younger.

[Book Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Only I Could Read by Robert Cox is an extremely insightful autobiography of a man that spent almost all his adult life without the ability to read. Life is already pretty hard for most of us, but imagine how things would be if you couldn’t read. From small things to big and important ones, reading is essential to get by in life: to remain in school, get into a competitive job, and even get groceries or reading directions. So the ability to read is necessary. Robert’s book fantastically describes how much of a difference being able to read can impact someone’s life and how this can become a huge setback.

Regardless of his problems with reading, what I enjoyed most about Robert’s description of his life were his perseverance and resilience. He never gave up, and he made the most of his life despite not being able to read. In his story, we get to see the multiple jobs and projects he worked on and the effort he put in to support his family. It wasn’t easy, but he always had a positive attitude. From his childhood, we see the difficulties he encountered that could have negatively disrupted his life; however, he got through it with determination.

The book is fast-paced and is written engagingly. Reading this story was an inspiring journey that allowed me to get a new perspective that I had never considered before. There are many people out there that can’t read for whatever reason or that possess learning disabilities. This book does an excellent job of portraying what it’s like to navigate life with this problem, letting readers worldwide understand the struggle.

Robert felt that there might be something wrong with him throughout his life, feeling unintelligent at times. Nevertheless, he experienced a lot of exciting situations from which he was able to learn. However, his reading problems constantly haunted him and even kept him away from taking advantage of some incredible opportunities that came his way. With time, he had to find a route to overcome his problem and understand it in the first place.

The author perfectly illustrates the journey that a person has to make when they simply can’t read. Through this book, people will gain a better perspective and insight on learning disabilities, maintaining a compassionate and understanding look of those out there that may have some disadvantages in life.

If Only I Could Read is an uplifting autobiography of a man that made it well into adulthood before learning how to read. His remarkable story of getting through school despite his inability to read and eventually uncovering why he could not learn in school is eye-opening. In addition, his struggle is a view into the world of people with learning disabilities and the challenges they face.