Ask a person with it!

Dear Mike,

Don’t you just find it hard to have to tell a lover, a boss, professors and others that you are LD. Sometimes I just want to bang my head a be normal.
It gives me so much insecurtity, I feel as if I am a freak. Normal people get the good husbands, good jobs, have nice lives. Please, don’t give me that crap that Einstein and other prominent thought leaders are LD as well.

We are born this way and it sucks, lets face it.

Yes it is hard, but it’s harder to grow up with it then to deny it. I’m not married either and it doesn’t look like I’m going to be any time soon. Define “normal” for me. No one person is the same out their. L.D. does not meen leader you are who you choose to be. I just don’t settle for avradge.
Let me tail you one more thing I’m a big fan of Ozzy (the guy who ate a head off of a bat) and he had L.D. and A.D.D. and a few other things. I just found this out after they had their show. it was embarising to let my boss know I have this but it makes it easyier to do stuff in their now and when I have a problem I can alwasy talk to her. This is at a hospital. My other job is a well known company who I will not give the name out but I don’t care what they think. If they wont to be misrable their whole lfe that’s their problem not mine. I spend most of my free time in front of this P.C. writting storys (like Steven King who also has a disability) so I can do things with my life. I get 5 or 6 rejection letters a day from editors but I’m not givving up. Albert Instine had a disability too. I can go on but it’s like I said, make life what you wont it to be.
DON’T EVER GIVE UP!
E-mail me your address and I’ll send you a short story I wrote about Growing up with A.D.D. an L.D. witch is getting published very soon.
Mike
[email protected]

I can understand what you are saying. I also was diagnosed young with a LD. My philosophy is life is what you choose it to be and our challenges are what define us and make us stronger. Having a LD does not make you a freak or weaker than others, only different. I also do believe that some world leaders probably have had some types of challenges in their lives(LD, ADD, etc), a great person is made through their experiences, not born that way.

Life was very difficult for me as a child in special ed, being told I was stupid until one day when I was 20 I chose to change things.After some hard work, I now work in a Hospital and a children’s treatment center, graduated from College and some University certificates. I have a wife and 2 children. A far cry from the bleak picture my teachers painted.

My son inherited LD from me. He will also have alot of challenges in life but it is my hope they will only serve to make him stronger.

Good luck with your novels,

Brad

Very well written Brad, bravo!!

I to have faced a lot of challenges in my life so far and I know I will face more. I have never denied the fact that I have LD at some points I have be ashamed of it. But no more, I just started part time at another job and one of the guys were talking about his sister (she at some point taught special education) anyway they were going through the list of places she has worked and he called us educable retards (twice) I was very offended but did not say anything. It still is bothering me.

I have had a attitude that I will not give up and I will do anything it takes to get there. I do understand what it is like to not have a significant other I never had a date in high school and have only had one serious boyfriend (I am not sure why I have been told I am a hottie??? but I am also 6’2” and live in a very small community and that is not cool don’t know if I can’t get a date cuz I am taller or cuz I am LD) Anyway am actively pursuing a career in Law Enforcement and am attending the academy in September I am also testing for state police in November on the job description it said that you could not have a learning disability but I am going to try and try and try until they hire me. I am also planning on getting my BS in criminal justice.

I would like to read some of your articles Mike, and good luck on getting published I wish you the best of luck.

Grace

Melissa,
I know exactly what u mean…..getting the good jobs and a shot at the American Dream is farther out of reach for those of us women with learning disabilities and we seem to only get the shmucks for boyfriends/husbands( I recently left an abusive fiancee with very little except my degree and my professional licenses and am starting all over with very little). But I learned one thing out of it all: It all boils down to money. LD or not, those with the money have the best options available to them. A poor woman without a powerful family behind her has a greater chance of becoming a domestic violence victim than a financially independent one. But I am a stubborn woman. I created my own job ( I am an independent stockbroker) which is more prestigious than profitable with the current market conditions, and even though I cannot afford to buy a house unlike most other people my age have, I can afford to rent one….without having to depend on a controlling abusive shmuck for daily bread. With what little bit of commissions I was able to earn so far this year as a 2nd year broker, I will have some money to invest in my own account, thereby generating more money to put towards getting the house I want. Next year I will hopefully be a homeowner once again. As far as the husband thing……HELL NO!!! I am having too much fun having control over my own life……and my independence is worth it!

Albert Einstein had a learning disability he was dyslexic which usually does not effect a persons iq and he also worked hard on developing his mind so please dont say people with lds cant be smart or as you said it prominent thought leaders because that isnt always the case.

p.s dont forget what they if youre a girl there is nothing more important than to be good looking