It was important that I wait for a while before I wrote again. There is one thing that has been on my mind for a very long time. The importance of understanding and acknowledging the different types of intelligences in people. As an educator I come across so many personalities, and if taken at face value, it is easy to think that there are many people out there that are unintelligent. This is a common mistake that people today make. We all have a similar capacity for intelligence; what makes us different is our ability to tap into that intelligence coupled with life experiences that manifest our level of smarts. If there is one thing that has always frustrated me is when people prematurely conclude my intelligence level based on minutia. We all have so many talents, skills and abilities and some people have these in highly valued or sought after areas while others have them in more under appreciated areas. As a teacher, I have had many students with various levels of autism and aspergers. What surprised me was how many traits I recognized in them from my own youth. I obviously was never diagnosed, although doctors thought I should be tested when I was a child, my parents insisted that it was not necessary. I could never know really, but in some ways, I see some of these traits in myself today when it comes to social situations. Sometimes I struggle, but in no way does this mean I or anyone else is unintelligent. As an adult I have had a complex of sorts where I felt I needed to get as many degrees as possible to show that I am smart, or capable. I have come to realize that I need to appreciate the fact that where my talents, skills and abilities reside, are not where many people would appreciate. The hard part is to accept that some people just do not appreciate who you are as a person, and you need to toughen up and move on. The trick is to appreciate other people for who they and what they have to offer, and learn to take life's sour lemons and make some lemonade.
But what do I know?
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