Friends of Quinn

I just read this piece in Huffington Post about a Canadian politician, Paul Dewar, who "shares a common trait with many of history's greatest over-achievers. He's dyslexic." I honestly feel that Dyslexia is really just another word for people who have different gifts and who just learn differently than others; it normally takes them just a little longer for them to find out what that gift is. When they do find it, they can be better at it than most other people. Like Paul.

I believe that Dyslexia should be called a Learning Difference not a disability. Dyslexia doesn’t mean that you can’t do some things, all though you may be told this over and over, it just means that you will have a harder time than others to accomplish your goal. It also means that you may get more creative in achieving your goals.

People will always be teased for being different (or more creative), and I have learned that kids tease you because they are young and they don't know how to deal with things they don't understand and when we are just trying to understand our own differences it can be extra difficult. Most kids who do all the teasing mature and end up being so-called normal people. "Normal" people can be unpleasant people too. I have also learned that some of the kids who I always thought were too cool for me in high school or teased me, don’t really have any recollection of it and I am actually friends with a couple of them now. We all grow up sometime.

Despite the struggles with bullying and schoolwork, Dyslexia is not all bad--not at all. If you look at someone like Paul, you can see how important it is to find the thing you are good at when you have a learning difference. It can be a struggle but it can make you stronger. There are so many stories on Friends of Quinn and in the LD community about this. Just work on finding your gift. I know that once you do find it you will be successful.