It’s Not a Disability. It’s a Superpower.

Something that I rarely mention is that I am actually dyslexic.   I don’t mention it, as I think of it as my secret gift, kinda like my superpower (cause clearly I’m a superhero, in case you had any doubt).

So why is dyslexia a gift to me?  It’s a gift, because my mind thinks in a different way to most peoples.  I see things differently and I am not limited to seeing within the lines. This often confuses people into thinking I am brilliant (but thats okay, your welcome to continue thinking that). It’s also a gift as, because it takes me longer to read things, I learned how to work hard at a young age and I learned how to problem solve. There is generally more than one solution to any given problem and more than one way to get things done. Not everybody realizes that.

But I’m one of the lucky ones. I’m lucky, because I have two of the most amazing parents that never treated me as if I had a disability (because its not a disability, it’s a superpower – remember) and they had the same expectations of me as of my siblings (and in fact emphasized that my sister and I had identical IQs). I’m lucky, because I have a Mom that fought to keep me out of resource rooms that would have treated my dyslexia like a disability.  And I’m lucky, as I was given the resources and attention that I needed to learn to read and write properly.  I’ve always had more than my share of angels in my life.  Hell, I didn’t even know that I was actually dyslexic until I was 28 (but thats a story for another day).

But, not everybody is as lucky as me. A lot of people are told they have ‘disabilities’ that make them incapable or less capable.  Thats hogwash and if you believe them, then you are giving yourself a disability.

So why am I telling this story now?  I’m telling it as the Shore 104 fm introduced me to a great project and organization a couple of weeks ago.  The VAMS ‘Music Saves’ Project that brought people with superpowers together with well known musicians to help tell their stories.

Thats what VAMS does. They empower people with superpowers to tell their stories through music.  Love it!  They are essentially like one of the angels that empowered me to be able to tell my stories through the written word, but with music.

An enormous thank you to the people at VAMS, and to the Shore 104 fm for introducing me to their work!