by Andy
(North East England)
Not being able to read quickly enough to keep up with everyone else, or being slow on the intake of information, let alone remembering it. Being poor at spelling and math. The feeling of failure, being thick, being odd/different. I questioned myself, for years. My employment consisted of physical work rather than jobs that needed brain work. If anyone asked me to fill in a form I would make some excuse saying I'm to busy, i'll take it home and fill it in. For years I dodged and swerved through life avoiding this difficulty,believing I could manage.
There came a point in my life where I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of being more than I was. so I put my fear aside and applied for a college coarse in fine art, thinking that at least there won't be that much writing and reading to do, ha,ah was I wrong. But the surprise was I loved every minute of it. I did struggle with the writing and research side of things but I did it. My confidence grew and my drive for learning.
But before I new it this coarse came to an end. The following year I became a university student, yes me, this person which for years hid in the background out of site. It was a lot different, it was more intense and I found I was struggling with the coarse work.
Entering into second year I went for a dyslexia test and found that I was dyslexic. I was 49 years old and the realisation that for all these years the struggles and embarrassments was down to a real medical condition. I received guidance to help me though the rest of the coarse as well of learning to understand what my condition was. I graduated with a 2.1.
Back in the real world I needed to get back into work but it wasn't to be in the subject that I graduated in. I found myself working back in a mundane job for the next two years.
After which I changed to something new, retail. I am now working as a supervisor. My Dyslexia is still a working progress and is testing my abilities at the moment especially when reading I have to force myself to concentrate on what is written and try to remember tasks and formats that need doing, but with perseverance and time I have more confidence now that I can really do it.