Author:
Dale Martin Davison (Blessed to be dyslexic)
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Date Posted: 12:01:49 03/04/10 Thu
Jen,
You need to let your friend know that LD in people who are blessed to be dyslexic does not stand for Learning Disabled. It stands for "Learns Differently". We can do very well in anything we have an interest in, if we only study one or two things at a time. It is the multible classes a day during our schooling, that we find highly frustrating.
In my own life I have little desire for higher education. It leads me nowhere. The only value I find in education is to learn about things that interest me. By looking at history, we see that those who are dyslexic are the ones who dream up the ideas the PHD's strive to learn and understand. Although we do not bring in the big paychecks, we do have the honor of developing new ideas and thoughts.
My age at this time is 66. I did not learn why I struggled in school, had no friends, and felt so worthless, until I was 59, at which time my brother (after helping to raise two grandchildren who are dyslexic) informed me that he thought I might be dyslexic. Of the 37 catagories that relate to people who are dyslexic, I relate to 23 of them.
It would have been nice to have learned of this blessing earlyer in life, yet, if I had been "labled" at a young age, I may not have been able to overcome many of the difficulties associated with being dyslexic.
My way of dealing with the need to be constantly challenged, while growing to my present stage of maturity, was to change jobs every time I had learned all I could. At present, having finished High School in 63, I have changed jobs, and often professions - 63 times.
Now, I again feel the need to move on. Yet, I shall hang in with my present job, while I direct my interests and thoughts towards writing a book instead. I have learned there are other ways to kill the bordom. When I was younger, I wanted to know how to do everything. Now that I know how to do a great number of things, I find, I no longer want to do them.
Jen, you need to let your friend know that being dyslexic is a blessing, not a curse. He just needs to find "his" way to overcome the challenges and develop his "strong" points without being ashamed of the blessing God has given him.
If you understand what I have written, then you also need to understand that am still highly dyslexic. As a child I struggled with spelling more than I do now. All my answers on tests were correct to perfection - yet I only got three out of ten done in the time I was allowed.
My brain is evenly divided, and each side argues as to which will do what. Every time I write my name, I must pause and visualize in my mind which way to write it -frontwards (from left to right) or backwards. I can write frontward or backward with either hand. It confuses me at times. Although I like showing off by eating with chopsticks in both hands at the same time.
In order to write this short statement, I have had to consult the Dictionary for spelling many times, and it has taken me over two hours to be sure that what I have writen, is what I wish to express.
What I am saying Jen, is your friend has a very "special" ability. He needs to understand this.
Dale Martin Davison
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