Hello everyone,
This is my first time posting here in a long time, and I just want to say it’s good to be here because I really need encouragement.
ADD, nonverbal learning disabilities, and depression are some of the
challenges I face in life which make things hard. And I also tend
to stay up far too late (my own fault) and not get enough sleep which makes everything that much tougher. My job requires very long hours (despite low pay, though there is potentially real opportunity) and I feel ground down by the schedule (I love my free time to read, surf the net, watch cable TV, go for walks, write letters, etc., I’m just not a workaholic, lol) and a very imperious employer.
I am in my thirties but still do not have a driver’s license. This is in part because I have a very bad sense of direction & and traffic rules, speeds and reaction times needed to properly navigate in a car have frustrated me in the past. Fear also to be honest enters into the equation, because I don’t want to be hurt or harm others. I’m just not sure how much of my problem is fear and how much is neurological.
You can imagine how much I have suffered by not having a car and driver’s license! Jobs, dating and various social activities were very limited our shut off from me due to my problem. I have often felt that I was “not a real man” due to not having a vehicle.
To remedy this I partially completed a driver’s ed class, but I cannot take the behind the wheel portion until my home state sends me my notorized birth certificate. And this can take a month or more! lol I was impressed by the classroom instructor and his older (and more laidback partner) will be my instructor when I am ready. The driver’s ed instructor I had right after high school was not supportive and my confidence was torn apart. This time around I am letting them know exactly what my challenges are, and I will not allow myself to be mocked and mistreated.
But in the meantime I plan to make good use of my time by viewing the Road Rules and Driver ZED DVD’s which I just purchased. I also got several books on driving from Amazon.com such as one entitled “Drive without Fear.”
Any ideas from the readers on how I should best approach things? I really want to do this despite my doubt and fear. And when I actually achieve this goal it will be one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.
Currently I am trying to save up for a car and auto insurance. I don’t want to buy a lemon and spend all my money on repairs! lol
My other great life challenge is my job. I work as a manager in the hospitality field and I have an employer who at times is like working for Darth Vader. He is a great man in many ways (and has tried to teach me so much) and a self-made multi-millionaire, but I allow him to really get me down on a regular basis. He is aware of my ld and add, but he still is very demanding (which is really how it should be) and I just don’t know if I can overcome my neurological shortcomings (bad memory, scatterbrained, slow on the uptake sometimes, etc.). I get profit-sharing so for a guy who is a college dropout, this may be the greatest opportunity of my life (especially as we expand). But between my own shortcomings and his, the situation sometimes seems unbearable. As he likes to tell me “I better reach deep down within myself and give it everything I’ve got if he is to keep me.”
I defaulted on my student loans (I was so young and stupid back then) so going back would be hard. If this job does not work out I would like to somehow get a degree in elementary ed and teach 3rd graders. I used to be a T.A. and I loved that age group. But I have put a gigantic sweat equity into where I am now and do not want to give that up.
I feel lonely and desire a special women in my life, but I realize I
need to get a handle on my life and feel pride in myself. I
recently “noticed” a local woman in my town who may be out of my
league, but I would rather try and fail, then never try and always
wonder after she has gone to another. This gal appears to be special
in terms of a combination of both inner and outer beauty.
I want to get my life on track regarding having a driver’s license, car, employer & under control job, getting in shape (from slender guy to Charles Atlas, lol), and a special woman to share my life, and raise up a family. I hope the friends I make here, and God’s providence will help me gather my strength to meet these challenges.
I look forward to hearing any advice the members here might have to
offer. I really need it.
Thank you,
Transcender?
Hi, First of all good luck! Keep your spirits high and don’t give up. Take things slowly and work on one thing at a time. In your spare time try to do things that you enjoy both by yourself and with friends. Keep in mind that if you think you are not doing well you are going to feel that way. So try to keep your spirits up and think POSITIVE! ~*Stacey*~