Category Archives: Writing and creativity

Not Fitting in Isn’t the Problem, Your Feeling Bad about Not Fitting in Is the Problem

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Being a teenager isn’t fun, but you can make it easier

Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-black-hoodie-sitting-on-black-couch-4100643/

I was a teenager once. It seems like a long time ago. My dad was in the Air Force. We moved around a lot. There were times I felt out of place in a new school or church, I always felt out of place in church, who am I kidding?

I would wallow in self-pity about being an outsider and moan and groan because I felt so alone. I can’t go back in time, and I wouldn’t if I could.

Fitting in is overrated, be yourself

What I can do, is advise young people. Don’t worry about fitting in. Trying to fit in led to some mistakes that I made. Mistakes in my thinking and my actions.

I’m fortunate that the mistakes didn’t go far enough to send me to prison or the morgue. Wanting to belong is a powerful influencer. My sophomore year in high school was terrible. After living in Japan for almost four years. My dad got orders to San Antonio Texas.

Talk about a fish out of water, that’s what we were

For some reason, Mom and Dad rented a house in a rural community. It was the typical redneck community. There was a dress code and I had to shave off my mustache.

Most of the teachers were students and graduated from that same high school. Everyone grew up together. My family were outsiders, and the students and teachers never let us forget that.

Students and faculty disliked me and my siblings because we were different. We adopted my sister when we lived in Alaska. She is a full-blooded Eskimo.

My dad had a talk with the principal, explaining about my sister’s three big brothers. That solved the problem

My youngest brother had to fight kids on the bus because of the Racial slurs hurled at her. We all had to deal with constant hatred and suspicion.

My defense mechanism was to try to be invisible, but that didn’t work. I was a benchwarmer on the junior varsity football team. In Texas, a State that worships football.

Nope, still the outsider

You would think that would have been my ticket to acceptance, you would be wrong. I had given up cigarettes that year. I had been smoking since grade school.

I started smoking again. There was a smoking area on campus, but the students had to have parental permission. I wasn’t going to get that.

I hung out with the other stoners

There was a restroom where the smokers without permission hung out. Tobacco wasn’t the only thing that they smoked in that restroom.

I enjoyed weed, and the other stoners accepted me. I didn’t handle things the right way. I have suggestions for anyone who is about to be in a new environment or is in one now.

Be you, don’t downgrade yourself, because it’s not worth it

It’s human to want to fit in, but don’t compromise your morals. Stand tall and be yourself. Being alone isn’t terrible. I have been alone for a good part of my life.

If you have to change positive aspects of your character to fit in, those friends are not worth having. I tried everything in San Antonio.

The Football team and coaches couldn’t stand me

I went to church, but I didn’t fit in. I warmed the bench for the junior varsity football team, and I still didn’t fit in. I started smoking cigarettes and weed.

I fit in, but I started on a road that I was fortunate to get off of years later. None of those kids were worth it. If you don’t fit in, don’t sweat it.

High school doesn’t last forever. Neither will your adult job, and you will move several times in your life. You will find your tribe, don’t sweat it.

Final Thought:

So much unhappiness and misery is caused by the need to fit in. Be yourself. Let your freak flag fly. Your circumstances will change. Don’t lose your self-respect. Don’t compromise your character by trying to fit in with people who aren’t worth your time.

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Freelance Writing, Earning a Living with My Words, That’s the Dream

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But, how do I rise above the other writers?

Photo by Ron Lach : https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-shot-of-a-man-with-eyeglasses-8035299/

I finished my editing for the day. I checked LinkedIn for freelance writing opportunities. All my writing to date has been on Medium, with a few diversions to other sites.

It’s time that I started making a living with my words. There is a place for everyone. I know there are writing opportunities for me, but how does a new writer get noticed?

New writers need to be proactive and not afraid to put themselves out there.

I’m a writer and editor for Illumination Publications. Earlier today, I asked the owner and chief Editor Dr Mehmet Yildiz for advice. Dr. Yildiz recommended that I read a story published in @TheWritingCooperative, by Nick Wolny. In the story, there was a lot of helpful advice and information. After reading the story, a plan of action formed in my mind.

I wrote the plan in the form of a story outline. I wrote this story and I will post it on Medium and LinkedIn. I already have conversations with a few writers on LinkedIn, one, in particular, has been very helpful.

I will take my time and try new things, making friends as I go

I will take my time and build relationships with writers, editors, and other creatives. When I was a security guard in Florida, I found very few jobs in the want ads, or through agencies.

Most of the jobs I found, were through relationships. The hope is that I get to know writers and other people in the writing and publishing industry.

There is no downside, I will find jobs, find friends, or both

If I don’t find work, that’s fine. If I form relationships and find mentors and role models that will be a win for me. I’m confident that I will find writing jobs.

I will continue to form relationships and build on them after I find a job. I’m excited about the idea of learning from writers who have been in the business and who know what they are doing.

You have to take risks, what’s the worst that could happen?

It’s impossible to grow without taking risks and putting yourself out there. I have made excuses,” I don’t have experience, I’m not good enough, I don’t have a car.” and on and on.

It’s time to put the excuses to bed. I will build relationships and I will keep writing, learning, and growing. I will do my research and pitch my stories the right way and see what happens.

Final Thought:

Networking the right way is important. Writers and Editors are people. Build relationships and don’t rush things. Keep learning, writing, and networking.

Good things will happen.

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What Happens When Two Dyslexics Go to Wal-Mart? Hilarity Ensues
“ We need to go to Walmart, we need to buy groceries.” I roll my eyes and shudder. My wife loves Walmart. I’m not…medium.com

I am a White Man She is a Black Woman We Get Along Fantastic
We have both learned Diplomacymedium.com

I Had Wanted to Write, Working at Bus Terminals Inspired Me to Do That
The beginning of an ongoing journeywritingcooperative.com

http://patreon.com/LawsonThewriter

My Amazing Daydreams Kept Me Sane

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Getting lost in my head, where I was in a better place

Photo by Moussa Idrissi: https://www.pexels.com/photo/pensive-man-in-sweater-6242213/

Are you one of those people who can sit still for hours and be happy lost in your head? chaos will surround you, but you’re fine. I found that superpower when I was homeless and it kept me sane.

It would be early evening in Minneapolis. I sat in my chair with my overnight bag closed and at my feet out of the aisle. I leaned my head back and zoned out. In minutes, I would be back in Florida on a beach or sitting by the pool at the trailer park.

I lost everything, but I still had my thoughts

Reality was out of my control. I gave up on trying to make decisions. The staff at the shelter controlled my movements when I could go to bed and when I ate. Circumstances and my bad decisions took everything from me. I still had an imagination.

At the time I had never heard of content creation. Writing online and creating YouTube videos never crossed my mind. To this day I wish I had bought a notebook and kept a journal while I was on the streets.

I thought about our future life together

A few days before those people threw me out of where I was staying I met a woman on Facebook. As time went on She was in my daydreams and fantasies. Not in a sexual way. We had imaginary conversations about life.

Daydreams kept me sane. I had to pay attention. I had to fight the darkness because I wanted to dwell on the mistakes that led me to the streets. I have learned how to be positive. My wife taught me that.

I thought about Olivia, and I tried to focus on good things

At the time, all I saw was darkness. The only light was when I was thinking about Olivia and when we were talking on Facebook. I escaped to the world inside my head. In my mind, I wasn’t stepping in piss when I went to the men’s room.

I wasn’t choking from the stench of marijuana. I wasn’t going insane from the screaming and mutterings of everyone around me. I found a measure of peace in the storm. I escaped homelessness with my sanity.

it wasn’t easy to do that. My rich fantasy life and my relationship with Olivia, along with a lot of prayer saw me through it all.

Daydreaming helped me cope, and it will help you too

Daydreaming is an amazing tool to combat stress and it helps to improve memory. There are other benefits as well. As a creator, it would do you good to turn off the devices and stare at the wall for an hour and let your mind drift.

The stories will come to you if you let them.

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https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/neuroscience-says-1-brainless-habit-improves-memory-boosts-creativity-reduces-stress.html

Half-Naked Singers Are Fun to Watch, but Shouldn’t Talent Account For Something?

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I guess I’m old-fashioned

Photo by AINNEK_HA: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-with-a-microphone-on-stage-18424685/

I was wasting time on Instagram when I saw the clip from a music video. An attractive woman was lip-syncing with a lot of skin showing. She wasn’t that great of a singer, but she sells a lot of music and she gets a lot of media attention for being provocative.

The birth of MTV in the eighties ruined pop music. The crap that passes for music has to discourage performers who care about their craft. If you take away the sex appeal and take away their ability to make videos. Most of these performers would vanish.

What happened to talent? These days you don’t need much

The sad thing is even the singers with talent use sex appeal without needing to. But, you also have Miley Cyrus. How she’s able to use sex appeal is beyond me. She’s not attractive, or sexy, or talented.

I know, I’m getting older, I’m sixty-four years old and I want to enjoy good music. If I want to watch soft-core porn there are platforms where I can do that. I want to enjoy music for the music. I want to get into the story the song tells.

It’s sad when they get old and try to hold on to what was lost

Sex appeal will only go so far. The sexy performer will get old. She will try to cover it up with visits to the plastic surgeon and multiple Botox injections. After a while, the shots and surgeries will lose their effectiveness.

Her lack of talent will hit her like a wrecking ball. If she’s smart she’s putting away money so she doesn’t end up working at a fast food place. The odds are she’s not that smart. Popular music careers are often short-lived.

Looks can only take them so far

Performers who have talent can have long and productive careers. They don’t have to worry about their looks fading because their talents transcend. We all have seen the older performers trying to hold on to their youth and sexiness.

It’s painful to watch. I’m sure their kids and grandkids will enjoy watching the videos. the Internet is forever.

The music should be able to stand on its own and it also should stand the test of time. If a performer needs to use sex to sell her music she should find another line of work. I enjoy watching a hot young woman writhing on screen as much as the next guy, but I enjoy good music more.

Final Thought:

Sex sells. There’s a place for that in marketing. When I’m listening to music I want the music to come first. Sex appeal will only go so far. The performer with talent will last longer and have the last laugh.

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The Nightmare Afternoon When the boss Put me On Probation Before the Christmas Party

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It was the late eighties, 1998, or 1999. I was a client in Vocational Rehabilitation. It wasn’t the first time, but it was the last. I impressed the staff. They liked me a lot; in fact, they liked me so much that they hired me as a material handler.

I did a good job. I worked hard and my confidence grew. I was feeling so good about myself that I accepted the job offer to replace her. I found out right away that I made a mistake. The job required accurate record-keeping.

The piecework performed by the clients required accurate record-keeping. They were being evaluated to see if they could hold jobs. I also had to keep up with their observed behaviors. A lot of the clients didn’t know how to act on the job.

A lot of them were mentally ill, or they had Traumatic brain injuries. I was an awesome material handler. I wasn’t suited at all to be a supervisor. The stress was getting to me. I wasn’t having fun and it was getting to where I was hard to work with.

I hung in there until Christmas time. I got in my car that afternoon and headed to the office. I had a meeting with my Supervisor before the party. In the meeting, she read the list of how I was screwing up.

She placed me on probation. I had so many days to do a job right that I had shown that I couldn’t do it. I was bummed out and angry. I still had to attend the Christmas Party. I survived the party.

I was still angry when I got in my car to drive back to Tampa. I was so angry that I almost caused an accident. I wasn’t angry about being placed on Probation. The prospect of getting fired didn’t bother me. I had been through that before.

What pissed me off worse than I had been pissed off in a while was the way it was done. I went to the party to have fun and ended up bummed out and angry. A few weeks later. We had another meeting.

I still wasn’t meeting expectations. My Supervisor said, ” I’m going to have to let you go if you don’t get it together. I surprised her. I looked her straight in the eyes and shrugged my shoulders.

” Oh Well,” I said. She stared at me for a minute before she responded.

” It’s gone that far? You don’t care?” I assured her that I didn’t care at all. I survived other firings, I survived that one as well. Life went on. I did give her a piece of my mind.

” This is a business meeting,” I said, with my anger controlled. ” I have no problem with it. ” I have a problem with you placing me on probation before a Christmas Party.” I don’t know why that pissed me off so much, but it did.

She didn’t apologize. She said she couldn’t figure out a better time to do it. Whatever, I did end up getting fired. The company was leasing space to a defense contractor. I became friends with the security guards there.

The Site Captain recommended me to the Guard Company. They hired me and paid for my guard license. I was employed as a Guard for Twenty Years. I still didn’t learn my lesson. At one time, I was a Site Supervisor, but never again.

Final Thought:

Employees are people with feelings. It is necessary to let people go. Letting me go was the best thing for me, the company, and the clients we served. It’s important to ease the stress as much as possible.

Putting an employee on probation minutes before a Christmas party is a crappy thing to do.

The Biggest Regret I Have Is That I Didn’t Fail More Often

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Deal with the pain and move on

I boarded the plane in Minneapolis on February 23, 2017. Almost three years of homelessness came to an end. I spent the last seven years thinking about regret. Dwelling on the past is unhealthy. My writing and my success on YouTube have been a big help in keeping the dwelling on the past at bay.

A vocational rehabilitation counselor once told me, “Your life is a legacy of failure.” He said it like it was a bad thing, and it was. The thought came to my mind this morning. The failures weren’t the problem.

Failure isn’t the problem, it’s how you deal with it that’s the problem

My reaction to my failures was the problem. I have read countless stories and I have watched so many TV shows about high-achievers. The one thing they all have in common is failures and setbacks.

I never could keep a job or learn a trade. After losing a job. I would fall back on the Learning Disability trope my parents were happy to reinforce. What I should have done was turn around and try something new right away.

If I learned mental toughness earlier, where would it have taken me?

Resilience is a learned trait. Life isn’t easy for most people. I would have been better off learning that fact early in life. Mom and Dad wanted me to be a security guard. It benefited them.

They didn’t worry about me and If I could pay my bills. They worried about me because I let every lost job and opportunity wreck me. I would fall into self-pity and stay in my bedroom.

Self-pity won’t help you. Get to work

Action will beat inertia every time. I would do nothing and go with the flow. That attitude stunted my growth. I would have been better off forming a plan. When that plan didn’t work I should have pivoted to something else.

The easy way is never the right way. A Neuro-divergent person’s biggest hurdle is his self-doubt. I watched a Ted Talk not too long ago. A successful writer and animal behaviorist was on stage giving an interesting talk.

On stage doing a Ted Talk and she’s Autistic, that’s amazing

What fascinated me, was that she mentioned that she was autistic. “ If she can do it, so can I.” I thought as I watched. I wonder how she did the first time she got on a stage. I bet it was less than perfect. There she was, doing something I never thought I would see an autistic person do.

In the coming year. I hope we all make fools of ourselves more often. A Google search will show that most successful people fail a lot. Those people are successful because they analyze their failures and remember the lessons.

Forget the failures, but remember the lessons

They will remember the lessons, but they forget the failures. They’re too busy doing the next project. Life is a process that isn’t easy for most of us. It’s easy to let our past failures weigh us down.

Don’t do it. Forget the failures, remember the lessons, and do the next thing. Life is about overcoming obstacles and pain. If you’re not failing you’re not living.

Final Thought:

Don’t let fear hold you back, take risks.

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My Shyness in High School Led To One of My Greatest Regrets

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High school wasn’t fun at all

It was a weekend night at Yokota Air Force Base in Fussa, Japan. Like a lot of high school kids, I went to the Base Theatre to see a movie. I purchased my ticket and turned to get in line. That’s when I saw her.

Her name was Esther. Like me, she was overweight. She was different from me in that she never seemed to have a problem getting a date.

We got along great. What was my problem?

We often talked and flirted when we saw each other in the smoking area at school. I was obtuse and stunted, I never dated, and I was mostly interested in beer and cigarettes but I was obsessed like all teenage boys with girls, I felt the chemistry, but I was too chicken to do anything about it. Things heated up when Esther got a job bussing tables at the Non-Commissioned Officers Club where I was a dishwasher.

We would laugh and tease each other having a good time on the job. I had strong feelings for her and it was obvious she was digging me as well.

What was I afraid of? I have no clue

I saw Esther as she walked to the ticket window alone. A few yards separated us. I went inside the theatre and took a seat. I saw Esther sit down on the other side of the theatre.

“ Get off your ass Lawson,” I screamed to myself. I don’t know what my problem was. I was a senior in high school and I never dated. I was insecure about my weight and my learning disabilities. Girls obsessed me.

I was too scared to get off my ass to go sit with her

I didn’t have the confidence to do anything about it. I sat rooted in the seat damned near having a stroke or a heart attack as my inner coward won the war.

I enjoyed the movie and went straight home alone afterward. I put it behind me. I somehow forgot about losing the inner war. I saw Esther a few nights later at work.

Esther was not happy at all, and she made that clear

She brought a tray of dishes back and slammed them on the counter, throwing the silverware down the shoot where a tub of water was waiting.

She went back to the dining room before I could talk to her. When I had the chance I completed the loop of cluelessness by asking Esther if she enjoyed the movie.

I asked if she enjoyed the movie, really?

She slammed the tray she was carrying down on the counter. “I thought it sucked,” she snapped. She looked me in the eyes and took a breath. “You know, guys are supposed to make the first move.”

She turned around and stormed off. I turned around and kicked something and turned the air blue with my curses. I didn’t have the confidence or sense enough to salvage the situation.

She got her revenge years later

Esther and I never got together. That would have been the end of the story if it wasn’t for Facebook. They say that revenge is best served cold. I got what was coming to me.

Thirty-something years later, I got a message on Facebook from my brother. He had graduated from high school a year early and went on to get two bachelor’s degrees.

My family loved Japan, and my brother was able to go back

He and his family were living in Japan at the time. My brother told me that Esther was on Facebook. I sent her a friend request. “ Do I know you?” she asked.

I told her that we knew each other in Yokota, Japan. She said she didn’t remember me and she didn’t accept my friend request. I have to admit I was disappointed.

The disappointment was tempered by my sense of humor and philosophic attitude. “ I had it coming.” I thought to myself. I never thought of Esther again.

I was a late starter, but I made up for lost time

The funny thing? The shyness and insecurity didn’t leave until I was living alone for the first time in my life. I was in my fifties. “ This is bullshit,” I told myself.

I was working the midnight shift as a security guard in Florida. I started answering personal ads. I was meeting people and going on dates.

I thought more than once, “I wish my confidence was this high when I was in high school.” I have many regrets in my life. I regret accepting the labels that my family and teachers gave me.

I have made mistakes, and I have let myself down

I regret not studying as hard as I should have in high school. I regret a lot of things. I’m sixty-three years old, and I still am upset with myself because Esther waited for me to make the first move.

I didn’t make the first move and that hurt her. I will always feel bad about that. I’m married now, and it’s a good marriage. I met the woman I married on Facebook.

Esther would get a kick out of it, but she doesn’t remember me at all

The Esther I remember would laugh her ass off knowing she lived in my head for years. I hope she found a good man. I hope she has had and continues to have, a good life.

I will close this story with some heartfelt advice. Watch what you tell yourself. You’re not as fat, dumb, and undesirable as you think you are.

Talk to her, ask her out, because life is too short for regrets

If you enjoy being around her, talk to her. I promise she will not bite. If you can talk to her around other people you can talk to her on a date.

If your heart tells you to approach her, for God’s sake get off your ass and do it. Life is too long to live with regrets. I let my insecurities and low self-esteem rule my life and it didn’t have to be that way.

Final Thought:

The teenage years can be terrible. I had struggles with self-esteem because of my weight. I also had horrible acne and I was in Special Ed because of learning disabilities.

I could have overcome those if I had watched the words I told myself.

Love who you are. Get out and meet people. Talk to her because she’s waiting for you to make the first move.

Live a life with no regrets.

A Breathtaking Phrase You Need to Think About if You’re Clinging to Hurts and Betrayals

Posted on by under Writing and creativity

Let it go, it’s not helping you

“Memento Mori” has been on my mind a lot

Six years ago, I took the light rail to the airport. I checked my bag and ate an overpriced panini for lunch while I waited for the boarding call. My almost three-year-long nightmare of homelessness was over.

I have written a lot about that time in my life. I wrote so many stories I was able to compile them into two eBooks that are for sale. I wrote a lot of stories, but I haven’t written a lot about the reasons why I was homeless.

I trusted the wrong people, I’ll never let it happen again

I made mistakes. I have been honest about that, but I haven’t written about the betrayals. The betrayals that led to me being on the streets hurt me because people I trusted were the betrayers. I have been allowing those wounds to fester for years.

It’s taking a lot of work and prayer, but I’m getting past it all. I saw this Latin Phrase some time back. I looked the definition up online. It’s a phrase that resonates with me. That phrase is, “Memento Mori.”

“ Look after yourself. Remember you’re a man. Remember you will die.”

“ Memento Mori”

“I’ll be damned.” I thought. I recently celebrated my sixty-fourth birthday. Both my parents died too early. If heredity is in play, I don’t have a lot of time left. Do I want to waste my time picking at old wounds? No, I don’t.

What’s the point of picking at the scab of the past? The Bible talks a lot about forgiveness. What I came to realize is that forgiveness isn’t for the benefit of the people that hurt me. Forgiveness is for me.

It takes a lot of work, but it’s worth it

Whenever the resentment and anger try to surface. I say to myself, “ It’s over, what’s done is done.” It’s hard work. But, you know something? it’s paying off. I’m thinking clearer. My writing is better, and I’m writing and posting more often.

I said it aloud. “ I forgive you, ( Name withheld).

It’s amazing what I’m accomplishing. Changing my thoughts and not obsessing over the past isn’t the only factor. My confidence is growing and my self-worth has improved since I escaped homelessness.

You only have so much time left, focus on what matters

Where are you focusing your energy? Control your thoughts and emotions. Channel your hurt and anger into something positive. My writing has improved and I’m producing more content.

I have more energy to create because I’m not obsessing about the past I can’t change. At some point, I had to let myself heal. I can’t heal by picking at the scab that’s covering the past. So, I let it go.

Final Thought:

Betrayals happen. Let it go. Forgive the people who hurt you. Don’t let them live rent-free inside your head. Forgiveness isn’t for them. It’s for you. You deserve peace and happiness. Don’t let the past you can’t change steal it from you.

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lawsonthewriter1@gmail.com

My Mom Thought There Was a Program or Class That Would Help Me, but She Was Wrong

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I wasted a lot of time and lost all my self-esteem

The help came from inside of me, not a program

I was so excited that night. I graduated from high school six months earlier. I got the nerve to do what a lot of kids did. I went back to the States ahead of my family. It didn’t last. A year and a half after my family returned to the States, I came home with my tail between my legs.

I was living with my grandparents before I moved back with my family. While I was living with them they encouraged me to get into a Federal jobs Program. It was the first of many programs my family pushed me into.

Was it Learning Disabilities, or was it a character flaw?

“ You need help because you’re brain damaged and Dyslexic, you can’t help it.” Mom and Dad said that in so many words. To be honest, I don’t know what to believe. Is it Learning Disabilities, or Brain damage? I know I’m Dyslexic, but a lot of people have Dyslexia and are successful.

The job program in Denver placed me in a warehouse. Taxpayers paid us to work in the warehouse when we weren’t drinking and getting high. My family ended up in Texas. Mom came and got me and my brother who was going to School in Boulder.

Another State, another program, still no success

Mom and Dad decided that Vocational Rehabilitation was what I needed. Testing confirmed that I had poor hand-eye coordination and spatial issues. The logical thing to do, the class that would be a perfect fit was a meat cutting class.

How I got through that class with all my fingers is a miracle. The not-surprising thing was that I completed another taxpayer-funded program. A program to learn meat cutting and I didn’t know how to cut meat.

I went my whole adult life without learning a marketable skill

I was in and out of jobs after that. My family moved to Florida. You guessed it. My parents pressured me into another Vocational Rehabilitation Program. I did so well in that program I was offered a job.

That didn’t work out, of course, it didn’t. Mom and Dad had a sit-down with me. I was told to get a security guard job. A lot of this I have written about before. I have been thinking a lot about those programs.

All those classes and programs were doomed to failure

There was never going to be any program, no class, or anything else that was going to break the cycle of failure. The only thing that would have saved me was finding what I was good at when I was young and working for it.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”

Proverbs 29:18

I had no plan. There was no vision for the future and no course of action. I started with all the faith and confidence in the world only to lose it all. The problem was that I wanted everything too soon.

Chronological age has nothing to do with maturity

I thought I was a mature adult when I was in my late teens and twenties. I wasn’t. If I had maturity I would have had a plan before I left home. I would have been self-aware. I would have realized that I needed a plan and a vision.

I wanted to leave home for the sake of leaving. I should have stayed with my family. If I had taken it slow I might have built the life skills and confidence to live as an adult. The way things happened stunted my maturity and emotional growth.

I would have a lot to say if I was in front of a classroom

If I was giving a talk in a Remedial class of school students I would encourage them to not try to grow up too fast. I would tell them to find their passion and gift early. Develop it and have a plan for their life.

If I had had the dream fully formed of being a writer as far back as grade school I could have worked for it from the start. The Bible says in the Book of Proverbs, “ Without a vision my people perish.”

I have a vision now. I turned sixty-four this past November. I’m progressing in my life with my writing and my YouTube channel. It will not be long until I’m a guest on Podcasts, Radio, and TV. Those things are possible because I believe in myself now after a lifetime of beatdowns.

It could have happened sooner if I had a vision for my life and worked for it at a younger age.

Final Thought:

Classes and programs might help you if you’re neuro-divergent. The best thing you can do is have a vision for your future. Once you have the vision you will have to fight resistance every step of the way. Please don’t wait until you’re in you’re sixties to be doing what you should have been doing for years.

You deserve to be happy.

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