When I was a kid in school I liked many things about it; making friends, playing on the play ground, going to gym class, and possibly learning new things. I don’t remember learning to read, but I loved the Dick and Jane books. The pictures were so colorful and the children were adorable. I can’t really remember liking learning new things, because sometimes it was hard. Sometimes it felt like my head hurt. I must have like learning though, because I did.

I’m so glad I learned enough to get me to adulthood and now I love learning. Maybe it’s one of the times that “practice makes perfect” or at least practice makes better. I may have had ADHD, but it really wasn’t a thing back then and I know my Mama always said my older brother Brian was hyper active. That was what they called it back then. He did graduate from college with a degree, so he must have learned some coping skills. I was not like him in the hyper sense. I liked to play and be busy, just not hyper active. Raising 3 children with ADHD, I have felt they are extremely gifted, they just learn, and express themselves in a different way. I used to say the school system was a round hole and my kids were a square peg. They are amazing, gifted, and talented people who grew up to be wonderful adults and contributors.

I’m not great with math even now. It’s ok though because I don’t really use it for much and I have a calculator on my phone. I still don’t know how to write sentences and other English things, I usually have my daughter proof read my writing, she’s a genius at English. I loved gymnastics which I took instead of gym all through junior high and high school. I know that I liked anything that had to do with art. In fact probably my favorite class was pottery. This was my senior year in high school and we had such a great time throwing pots on the wheel and learning all about pottery, glaze and how to put a handle on a pitcher or cup. Maybe it was the fact that we were using our hands and forming the clay. It was so tactile. Feeling the clay move past my hands while it was going so fast and pulling it ever so carefully up or out to create a vase or bowl. It was so fun.

Maybe I was just bored in the other classes, not ADHD, maybe I just hadn’t found the thing for me. I never had a hard time staying focused in pottery class. Thankfully I have learned to love learning new things and I have learned how to focus when it is important.

I think ADHD or a square peg are just different, and I’m ok with it. If fact I honor it.