Conventional Wisdom Rarely Tells the Whole Story

Any thoughts, observations, and insights that I may share about work and life are not drawn from a conventional perspective. Apart from my outward behavior and appearance, little else could be considered traditional. I'm dyslexic and see, process, interpret information, and solve problems differently than others, leaving many teachers, bosses, and associates bewildered. 

Dyslexics, fortunate enough to be diagnosed, understand their brain's electrical wiring does not follow the conventional pattern found in others. The truly fortunate individuals with dyslexia discover unique ways to compensate and leverage the strengths available through different means of processing information. 

For example, as a freshman in high school, I struggled with algebra. The formulas made no sense, yet I  could often solve the algebraic problem using unconventional means. Reading proved much the same in that I would lose concentration by trying to read single words and sentences. Reading was difficult, but I labored with it all through elementary and high school - learning more through listening, until college.

One of the classes I was most interested in had an extensive list of must-read books. I had no idea how I would read one of them, let alone twelve. Out of necessity, I skimmed the readings, not dwelling on each word or phrase as taught. I discovered I could read paragraphs and occasionally entire pages in chunks and retain the information. What a gift! However, it took a long time and a lot of distress before I found my way to read.