Kimberly Orr's Literacy Narrative Orr, Kimberly (2010-03-08) >>ORR: I do see a red light. Right there. >>NARRATOR: Okay, there we go. Okay. Good afternoon. May I have your name, please. >>ORR: My name is Kimberly M. Orr. >>NARRATOR: And Kim, what do you do? >>ORR: I currently am an IT Auditor. >>NARRATOR: And how long have you been doing that? >>ORR: Oh, about 3 years now. In IT..oh goodness..probably about 10 years? >>NARRATOR: Wow! >>ORR: Yeah. 10 years all together. >> NARRATOR: That's a long time. >>ORR: Yeah. >>NARRATOR: And where were you born? >>ORR: I was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. >>NARRATOR: And how did you make it to Columbus? >>ORR: My dad was in Air Force. >>NARRATOR: Okay. >>ORR: So we traveled a lot. Lived in Colorado, where I was born. We lived in Alabama. We lived in Istanbul, Turkey. We lived in Idaho. Did I say Malcolm, Alabama? >>NARRATOR: No, you didn't. >>ORR: We lived in Malcolm, Alabama. And yeah, that's it. My dad retired. And when he retired, we moved out here to Ohio from Colorado. That was our second staying. >>NARRATOR: Okay so what made you, and him and your mother come to Ohio? >>ORR: He was approaching his 20 years in the service. >>NARRATOR: Okay. >>ORR: So he was getting ready to retire. He was looking for different opportunities. And at the time when we moved here. He got a job at, which used to be Rockwell International. >>NARRATOR: Oh, okay. >>ORR: Yeah, so we moved out here from Colorado, Denver at the time, and been here ever since. Yes, I think I was 13. >>NARRATOR: Okay, so now you are considered a legitimate Buckeye. Is that correct? [Laughing] >>ORR: That would be Mr. Orr, but yeah. [Both laugh] >>NARRATOR: When you were growing up because your father was in the military, was your mom a stay at home mom? >>ORR: When my sister was 3, so I would've been about 6 or 7, she became a stay-at-home mom. >>NARRATOR: Okay. >>ORR: Yeah. >>NARRATOR: And did she ever read to you growing up? >>ORR: Yes, she did. I remember a book that my brother had that got passed to me, and got passed to my sister, and I remember the name of the book was "A Dog Named Spot" or "Dog Called Spot". >>NARRATOR: Okay. >>ORR: And I remember my mom would always read that book to all of us. It was kind of like our beginning starter book. >>NARRATOR: Umhmm. >>ORR: And it's funny because I went home for the holidays this year. My sister had that book on the book case and it just brought back a lot of memories because I remember all of us reading that book. [Both laugh] >>ORR: "A Dog Called Spot"! >>NARRATOR: Have you read it to your daughters? >>ORR: No, my sister has it, and she's in Florida. >>NARRATOR: Okay. >>ORR: Yeah.I think in there, they're reading novels and all kinds of crazy books now days that we didn't have growing up. >>NARRATOR: Umhmm ummhmm. >>ORR: Interesting stuff, I guess. [Both laugh] >>NARRATOR: Now did you ever read for pleasure growing up? >>ORR: Sometimes. I think some of the typical young teenage books. For me at the time it was a lot of Judy Bloom books. I don't remember any of the titles at this time. >>NARRATOR: Okay. >>ORR: But I do remember reading a lot of Judy Bloom because it was like those "coming of age" type stories, I thought. >>NARRATOR: Were those any other romance type? >>ORR: Some of them. That seems so long ago. [Both laugh] >>ORR: Some of them were. And then I did read. My parents were the type of parents that if we had a question about anything, you'd have to go look it up. My dad was the type of dad where he actually built bookcases. I remember there were these 3 big bookcases that he built because when we were moving from Istanbul, Turkey back to the States, they were getting rid of all these books that they had at the libraries over there. And I remember my dad taking us down to the library. And we just got stacks of encyclopedias, and books, and things about black history and just you name it. And that's when they also... because my sister was 3 at the time, "A Dog Called Spot" was also included in that too. I just remember all those books, and having a big stand in Istanbul, Turkey. [Laughs] >>NARRATOR: Now how was it in Istanbul? How many years were you there? >>ORR: We were there for about 3 years. And I have to admit, they were very good years because I was a child. We had a maid. So I didn't have any chores. [Both laugh] >>NARRATOR: Lucky you. >>ORR: It was fun, but we lived on the military base. This is a good learning experience, a different culture. You really get to see. We have different cultures and diversity that we deal with in our daily lives, but basically when you live in a different country, then you really get to see how somebody else lives, someone of a totally different ethnicity than you. Some of the people were, I don't want to say underprivledged, but maybe because we were in the military, just seems a little different. >>NARRATOR: Now were most of your playmates military children? Were their parents in the military? Did you have any that were also native to that area? >>ORR: Very few. Every once in a while...I hate to use this term because it sounds kind of odd, but our maid would bring her granddaughter over. Every once in a while, not very often. I don't really remember her name. It was so long ago. Another thing about Turkey is that we did not have television when we were over there. >>NARRATOR: Oh, okay. >>ORR: So that was another reason why we did a lot of reading, and I remember how I used to loved comic books at that time too. And they were more artistic, so I would be always, not only read the comic books but I would also draw pictures from the comic books as well. So when you don't have television, you do a lot of reading. [Laughs] >>NARRATOR: Wow! Fascinating. Now when you came over to the United States, did you feel that because you had the television and all that exposed to that more so did your love for reading take a backseat? Or did that still ingrained in you, and you still continued? >>ORR: Maybe a small backseat, temporarily. Because you go without television for so many years, and the only television you can watch are old movies at the NCO Club at the military base on a Saturday night. You get back to the States, and you're like, "Oh, wow! What is this? What have I been missing?" [Both laugh] >>NARRATOR: Something new. >>ORR:But you get in. Plus that was "coming of age" with the whole MTV generation was staring, and music videos, and Michael Jackson. So it was taking a whole new different turn. But then I don't think that was all it because I've always enjoyed reading in some way or another. Plus with the field I'm in, in IT, you always have to read just to try to stay on top of the most recent technology or what emerging risk is coming up, and just all kinds of reading. It's not so much, I don't want to say enjoyable anymore.. [Laughs] >>NARRATOR: It's not reading for pleasure. >>ORR: Yeah. It's hard to find time because I have a lot of friends that are always reading books, are in some kind of book club or something. But my reading is more job related, so I don't want to read if I don't have to because I have to do it at work every day. I'm an auditor, I'm always looking at somebody's requirements or processes or something.Lots of reading. [Laughs] >>NARRATOR: I understand. Because I know with your previous jobs you had a lot of technical writing to do, do you think that the previous things you learned as far as growing up..did that help structure you as a technical writer? Or was that something you learned more so when you got into college and your focus went that way? >>ORR: That's a good question. I had totally forgot about that. [Laughs] >>ORR: I think maybe the college aspect because my first going to school was for Journalism and Communications. >>NARRATOR: Okay. >>ORR: Then, I found out that where we live is not really the market unless you're living in Chicago, or New York, or California, you're not going to make a lot of money, so I switched from Journalism and Communications to Management Information Systems. So I still had that Communications background because you have to do a lot of the business writing courses before we could get into the major portions of the curriculum. I don't know if it really structured it too much, but it really helped. >>NARRATOR: Okay, good. Now, moving ahead a little bit. You are married, and you have two beautiful twin daughters. >>ORR: Thank you, yeah. [Both laugh] >>NARRATOR: When they were growing up...First of all, how old are your daughters now? >>ORR: They are now 14. >>NARRATOR: Okay so when they were little, did you get the chance to read to them? >>ORR: Yes. I might have some books around here somewhere that we still have from when they were little, but I'm the "pack rat" not my husband, so he does a lot of purging. [Both laugh] >>ORR: He gets rid of stuff quick! "We don't need those anymore." Yeah, we did a lot of reading to the girls. What books? I don't remember, but I do remember there was one Biblical book that I bought them. And it was just short stories on more moral things that you want to do. "Be nice to each other", "Don't do unto others" type of book. And I think I really liked the book more because of the graphics, not that it wouldn't appeal to my kids. I know we have that book around here because Natalie draws pictures from it sometimes and she'll take a little caption and write something on it. So I know it's around here somehow somewhere. >>NARRATOR: Oh, okay. Well, Kimberly, it's been a pleasure talking with you. >>ORR: Thank you. >>NARRATOR: I don't want to keep too much more of your valuable time. Is there anything else that you just wanted to add in closing? >>ORR: Not really. Reading's important. >>NARRATOR: Yes, it is. >>ORR: Very important. And it'll help you. Whether it's reading the paper daily, or reading scriptures from the Bible, or reading to your children. that's just knowledge, any kind of knowledge from whatever you're reading, to this game, how to play a game, instructions for life. I think reading is very important. >>NARRATOR: Okay, well, thank you very much. >>ORR: Thank you.