Standing Out

I had a quick visit at Hope Research and saw the neurologist this visit too. Dr. M did his usual tests. There were some re-dos for things he doesn't like to see--where my function isn't great, mostly in my left leg and foot. I've been having intermittent numbness in the area. But it's not an exacerbation since it comes and goes!

I read this article and found myself so relating to it, I thought you would be interested. First, the differences. She went to an all-girls school in the south; I went to an almost all-black school in Houston. But...I also had glasses, bad teeth, unfortunate hair, and as she says "committed the sin of getting good grades.... If I wasn't the last girl in the class chosen for sides on a sports team, I was pretty close to it."

I hear all this stuff about bullying and I think there is a bit of a line that parents and teachers need to be careful about. While I agree that bullying shouldn't be tolerated, kids will be cruel about any perceived differences, and that is NOT necessarily bullying. This teasing causes humiliation; I understand parents don't want their kid to be in that position. But that humiliation, those feelings, making it through that experience, that is one of the ways kids learn to be stronger, more independent people. For me, those experiences, being made fun of for my differences, as the author says enabled me to “find my voice.” That is part of growing up, dealing with setbacks, emotions, failure. I hope all the kids I know get to have experiences that help them find their voice and learn to stand out from the crowd.