Merry meet all,
This post topic will be a bit different from most of the posts on this blog. I hope you will find it interesting. I want to post about neurodivergence. I have been neurodivergent all my life. I have overcome many barriers and I hope to inspire others who may read this post.
When I was young, I had trouble reading at school. A teacher told my Mother I would never be able to read. My older brother was so angry that he was the one to teach me to read. I caught on like a wildfire in a hot dry forest littered with timber and kindling. After that, I read everything I could get my hot mitts on. By the time I was in grade six, I read at a high school level. I am the only one out of 4 siblings to have completed a Bachelor of Arts degree. I love to write and I own about a thousand books. I have so many books in my apartment I don’t have room for them all.
Flash forward to the present time: I have written magazine articles for a variety of different publications, my short stories have been published in anthologies, Ezines, and I published a book of poetry. I have written a novel, a novella and I’m wondering about what my next novel will be about. I had to work at it. It was uphill all the way. It was a lot of work. I learned everything and had many trials and tribulations along the way. I’m still learning about how this publishing thing is done.
Neurodivergence doesn’t have to be a barrier. I was diagnosed much later in life. I should have had a much better education but I wonder sometimes if it would have made much difference. If I was diagnosed much earlier when I was younger, I could have done much better in school. Instead, I struggled with everything. The teachers and other classmates were horrendously cruel. I mean very cruel. I’m not sure if you can get away with that today but they did. I learned what no one should have to learn: that fear. If you are neurodivergent, you could almost expect to be treated cruelly. And that is so wrong. There needs to be way more understanding for those who have ADHD, autism or other types of neurodivergence. The more supportive the school system is, the more the student/s are encouraged to study and do well. But the understanding needs to be present. When a student doesn’t feel safe, I bet these invisible barriers rise. I had those barriers around me too. I stayed quiet and learned the hard way not to tell anyone I was neurodivergent. I have had a hard time finding mainstream employment. I had to create my own and I am still there. I enjoy writing for short story anthologies. Now I am studying herbalism. My article about herbs in the mint family will be published in Plant Healer Quarterly this fall. !
I guess I am meant to write. That is a good thing! Here I am, writing this post right now, lol. I tried hard to improve myself. I worked hard at math skills and made progress. I enjoyed studying history and science.
So, feel good about who you are. I want you to jump up from your chair, hold your head high and give yourself a big hug. Or a pat on the back. You are awesome and amazing. You are an amazing individual and have a right to feel good about yourself. Never let anyone tell you that something can’t be done. Never let anyone shame you. Never let anyone talk down to you. If someone does try to do those things, find someone you can trust and confide in them asap.
It is not easy but you are capable of success. You are capable of achieving your dreams. It’s a good thing to be diagnosed with a learning disability as I was. I hated every minute of it. I did it though and if you click on my Portfolio page, you can see the list of my writing that I have had published. I don’t regret it. I have no intention of stopping. I hope that anyone reading this has a dream or passion of their own that they want to realize. Mine is my writing and herbalism. Everyone has their own dreams. That can be winning an Olympic medal, becoming a model or an actor in Hollywood. Never let anyone tell you something can’t be done. I remember many nights I was crying trying to do my homework. My family always supported me. I somehow survived school (which is a hell in itself) and I am glad those days are past me.
We all dream of success. We are all capable of success. Anything worth doing is hard work. That applies to everyone. Just keep your eye on your goals and dreams and forget everything else. I have days when I don’t feel like writing, ok most days, but I keep at it. I hope to write 900 blog posts and I am getting near to that point. I want to reach that milestone. After, I will keep writing. And all this from someone who was told she would never read. I say ha teacher, proved you wrong!
Set realistic goals for yourself. Invest in whatever it takes to help you get through school. I am in love with the written word. I found my own strengths and worked hard on my weaknesses. Don’t create goals that are impossible. Be kind to yourself.
That is the secret. Find your passion, cleave to it and show them what you can do. Do it with style and flair. Be true to yourself. Shock them with your talents and passions. Leave them breathless. Then keep that up, do it over and over again. Most importantly, never give up.
Blessings, Spiderwitch
