Saturday, February 13, 2016

Light Bulb!

My youngest feeding the ducks.

I’ve been in a coma.  Not a regular coma, but a living one.  I once read a story about a young man who was in a coma.  His body couldn’t move but his mind was awake.  He could hear everything people were saying, but he couldn’t move his body, open his eyes, or give his family a signal.  That’s what my life has been like.  The past two years have been an awakening where all parts of my self are beginning to move.  I found out that my youngest child has a moderate learning disability and my oldest has a mild one.  Both are highly intelligent which makes it even more frustrating.  In addition I found out that certain learning disabilities are inherited.  Hmm, I know I sucked at school, but I knew how to read at an early age and managed to get a Masters degree.  My lightbulb moment wasn’t until I went to a local learning disabilities conference.  While there I heard success stories and saw techniques used to help young people with learning differences.  I learned more about dyslexia and other learning differences including processing disorders. In the near future I am going to get a professional evaluation to pinpoint my specific issues (processing differences I suspect) but now know my genius was always there, I just didn’t have the tools to tap into it.   Back in the 80’s when I was in school it was a definitely a one size fits all educational paradigm.  I desperately wanted to learn and grasp what I was being taught but it was a struggle.  I stuck with a college major I could manage but knew that there was more I wanted to know and learn.  Like the guy in the coma, I could hear and sense a greater calling for myself but the rest of me was paralyzed.  Well, I am awake now thankfully because I’ve had to deal with my children’s difficulties.  I am awake now because I need to know how I could better help my kids.  I am awake now so I can help others.  I am awake now so I can fly.