The Sick Feeling

Today I woke up feeling sick (literally!!!) I had stomach cramps, congestion and a bad cough. I also had severe anxiety. The type that makes you cringe, shake, sweat and makes your heart race. It almost reminds me of being in sixth grade and being excited to have graduated elementary school. Then, your dreams are shattered when the teacher calls your name to come to the board. There, you get nervous, you shake and sweat a little, and you think to yourself: “God, I hope I get his math problem right!!!”. Then, you stand there for mins or so, but to you it feels like three hours. You know how to do it, you just need a little more patience and time.

One of the biggest culture shocks when I moved back to the U.S. from the D.R., is the rushing that never seems to end. We rush to work, to class, to get our assignments done, to shower, to cook, to listen to our partners (if we do indeed listen), and to do almost everything in our lives. We even rush through being sick. However, some of us just need a little tender care, patience and TIME!

As a child, I did have a slight learning disability. I needed more time than most to get caught up with the material being taught. Once I learned the material though, I was like a speed racer wanting to know more. That feeling was short lived, as new material was quickly introduced. I was happy not to be labeled and managed to graduate Summa Cum Laude from college. But, I had to study harder than most, lock my self in my room for hours doing home work, and I had to really try to catch up with the class. Not to mention, that I was constantly reminded by one of my teachers on Middle School: ” I would had not passed you in the first grade, if you had not learned how to read” Later on, the problem for me was not reading, it was comprehending and associating information. This was tough for me when it came to math. I was very creative, so writing and reading were a bit more easy for me. Even if the letters on the page jumped around at times, I could not associate numbers and it always took me longer to get caught up. But once I understood the material, I was like an astronaut in a space ship, just floating in space. I was told over and over again that I was so smart. But I could not belive that because of my earlier challenges with my disability. NO…I AM VERY SMART!!! (I had to keep telling myself this to get me through school and college). It’s important that we all know that we are all smart and that we keep telling this to all that have a learning disability. Most people, with a learning challenge, are very smart. They just need a little more time than then rest to cook and absorb the juices. Maybe then, we can get rid of that sick feeling.

~ To my brother Dan, who was labeled with ADD since second grade, changed schools, and graduated from High School a year early with honors!!!

Happy Reading!!!!

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