Thursday, May 12, 2011

Dyslexia is a learning difference

Not a mental illness.  Lucky bastards.

I remember a kid we went to college with.  We barely got to know him, but I can see him in my minds eye, and what he taught me, I'll never forget.

He went to the union, as we  did, between classes.  He always wore a suit.  I remember a brown one, maybe he had more.  This was the day of tie dyed tee shirts and patched blue jeans.

"Why do you always wear a suit?" I asked.

"Because I want to show how lucky I am to be here." he said.

He went on to say how his dyslexia was so severe it would take him hours to read what some of us could read in minutes. How much of his time was spent decoding his homework reading assignments. He was obtaining a degree in Art...which didn't ask so much.

"I want to show how lucky I am to be here".

We can't see the mountains some people climb.

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