Overcoming Dyslexia

What?  The title shocked you?  Well it’s shocked me too by actually writing about it.  I can see why it would shock those of you who don’t know me that well.  From everything I’ve written, dyslexia would be the last thing that you would have thought I had a problem with.  Especially since I have talked about a 90+ page novel.  AND it actually made sense.

But trust me, writing didn’t come easy for me.  And reading it was even harder.  Not that I couldn’t read, but the words were bouncing around the page that I would get them mixed up.  Better yet, I would either take words away, add some in, or to go for broke, I’d even skip lines.

And I’m willing to bet that even now as you’re all reading this you’re thinking, “there’s no way this woman is dyslexic.”  Well, there’s many forms of it.  For me, I learn better by visuals and audio.  When I would have to sit down and read a story for homework, I was like, “someone shoot me now.”  It just didn’t make sense what I was reading.  So right up through the grades I had to get my mother to read me the homework so I could answer any questions for it.  And before you come to me on twitter, yes, right up to grade 12 in high school.

Though, I did manage to graduate, barely, but I done it.  Most importantly I proved my principle wrong.  He told me to my face when I was in Grade 10 that I’m not going to graduate with my peers.  Now what a terrible thing to say to a young girl who had a learning disability.  Only problem was, no one knew.  I was never diagnosed with it.  It wasn’t until I was watching an episode of THE COSBY SHOW that I seen Theo struggle in school with reading.  That’s when a light bulb went off in my head.  Cause not only did I now have a name for my problem, but that I wasn’t stupid.

I was always treated differently with kids in my age group.  I tended to stay to myself a lot because I didn’t want to say something dumb.  And well being compared to other kids who were smart, well you can imagine how that would affect a growing girls self  esteem.

Do I wish that i had been diagnosed at an earlier age?  HELL YEAH!!  Least then I wouldn’t have felt left out and stupid.  Mind you I still have to have a dictionary handy when I’m reading anything.  Some words baffle me as to what they mean.  And again, I won’t ask someone what they mean in open tweet.  That feeling of being laughed at is still there.  So I’ll either look it up, or ask a friend on what words mean or how to pronounce them.

I guess this blog is showing you all that there’s more to me than meets the eye.  How I tweet, or write for that matter, is just the tip.  And speaking of twitter, I’m far like that in person.  The innuendos are just a girl having a bit of fun.  But when I show compassion and honest to goodness caring tweets, I am just that.  A caring person who when sees someone is having a bad day, will reach out to them if they need to chat.

I’ve been shown this by 3 amazing people.  When I had a bad day on twitter, it was nothing for them to send me a caring DM my way.  There’s no need to say their names, as they know who they are.  And I love you for caring so much and for sharing your personal lives with me.  I will forever hold that dear to me.  And I’m honored to call each of you my friends.

Most times in life it’s not fair on the cards you’ve been dealt, but it’s how you play them will determine weather you will succeed or fail.  WOW, that was deep, even for me, 🙂  So on that note, I wish to leave you all with this song.  Makes me thankful for so much in my life – past and present.  Enjoy.