To read and write is precious

The other night I watched the film Precious, I missed this at the cinema but I'm really glad to have watched it on DVD now.

The film is about a 16 year old girl who's pregnant with her second child, has been abused, is illiterate and thrown out of school as they simply don't know what to do with her.  She's sent to an alternative school where the possibility of a better life can finally be seen, where creating a new family isn't about a bond tied by blood.  The words brought to mind after watching this film are hopeful, bittersweet, inspiring, heartbreaking . 

While its not based on a true story, its based on a book written by a literacy teacher who met girls like Precious and wanted to write a story behind the statistics that people read about, to make them think about the person behind the statistic.

It made me think about the things I take for granted, the power to read and write without thought or struggle -  I truly believe that knowledge is power.   That I can read and share knowledge with others is a privilege, its hard to consider that still now in the age of the digital generation that there will be people who don't have this luxury.  So next time i put pen to paper or read the written word, I'll count my blessings

The film may not be everyone's cup of tea but I do recommend that it is worth a watch.