Biography

The Third Grader Who Refused to Listen to His Teacher

How and why I became a writer

Hello, My name is Jose Luis Ontanon Nunez. I’m here to tell you the story of a little kid so stubborn that he didn’t listen when other people told him he couldn’t do something.

I’m the seventh child of a family of eight brothers and sisters. My father was a fervent believer in the power of the elders. Hence, the older brother had absolute authority among the younger members.

As the seventh child, you could think that my younger sister would be at my command. Unfortunately, I found that she was my dad’s darling daughter at the age of four, which made her immune to my power.

And although she wouldn’t inherit the throne, she didn’t need it, for she ruled by his side from her highchair. Being the youngest made me responsible for all kinds of jobs, from switching the TV channel (I was the TV remote) or going to the kitchen for a soda.

Also, for answering the phone, taking the dog for a walk, cleaning after him, and rush back to fulfill the following command.

These were my first lessons in life about:

• Politics, the chosen ones, rule over the rest
• Equality, everybody is equal, but there are some more equal than others
• Oppression, the Power that few have among the rest

When I started the third grade, it all went south. My grades plummeted as a stone in a pond, and I couldn’t keep up with my classmates. My teacher told me that I should attend a special education school since I wouldn’t read or write like my classmates.

Cool! I thought, a special place to play and have a good time, so when I came home, I proudly told my father, and he almost had a stroke. The next day, my mother went to school to talk to the teacher about what, I thought, was to arrange the schedule, accommodation, plane tickets, meals, etc.

But you guessed, the only thing I got was a private tutor, more class hours, less time to play or watch TV, and the ugliest prescription glasses. That made me the center of the class bullying. After repeating the third grade, I understood that with practice, a checklist, and spare time to re-check your work, you could keep up or outperform others.

So, life lessons kept pouring my way, and I discover:

• Fake news, not all information, is always as good as you think
• Inequality, your peers will judge you if you look different
• Communication, verify your sources and meaning before posting news
• And the most important of all, that the only way to achieve your goals is to do it yourself

Since then, if someone told me I couldn’t learn another language, I watched every TV show and movie in English until I learned how to speak.

If they said I wouldn’t be able to go to college, I worked hard until I got my bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design.

And when my brain tried to convince me I was an Introvert who stutter and couldn’t concentrate, I read every book, watched all the YouTube videos, took all the online courses I could afford, and became a Communication Consultant.

And now, I have a quest to research and write to help every Dyslexic kid who feels left behind, lonely, misunderstood, and thinks he’s dumb. To understand that all people with dyslexia don’t have special needs. We are special people!

I believe we should spend part of our time reading and studying history. Also, as writers, it is our duty to use our talent and write about past events, no matter how long ago they were or who was involved.

We must make sure that future generations read and understand what and how things happened, without media or political filters. As George Santayana said:

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,”

From that third-grade kid, I learned impossible is a word, and with commitment, you can do anything you set your mind to.

You have the power to change your world, find, and follow your dreams. To transform every obstacle in your way, telling you that is impossible, and say no, I can do it because; I’M POSSIBLE.

As a child, I learned you are as guilty as the oppressor if you keep quiet and don’t stand against oppression and abusive power. For no one can force you forever to do something you don’t want.

We have to speak against every form of injustice and political abuse we see. To stand against racism, xenophobia, homophobia, sexism, or other forms of intolerance. Rev. Martin Luther King said:

“There comes a time when silence is betrayal.”

But what fun is it to work without time to enjoy yourself, without feeding your old nugget, with curious and funny information?

You can use data in your next trivia session or when you watch Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy. Maybe to impress your friends with facts that make you look interesting and wise.

In the end, if you ask me how I would describe myself? I’ll have to say that I’m a man seeking peace who likes to chant mantras. I’m grateful to my ex-wife for giving me a beautiful family and the most amazing kids.

Also, I thank God for letting me see another day every morning and rest at night, appreciating all the beautiful things in the world, especially kids playing and pets.