Sunday, May 18, 2014
Phone Crazy
Have you ever had the experience of walking into the
office, phones ringing, customers at the counter, questions being thrown from
one end to the other? I am sure most of you have had that experience, right.
Ok, now the fun part; things settle down just a bit and
you have some phone calls to make, you reach for the phone….What the Heck!?!
They have switched my phone! My numbers are backwards or descending the wrong
way.
Now I do not know if you have ever experienced this, but
let me tell you that it is quite a shock to the system. Not to mention, it
makes me stop….really think about what I am looking at…and sometimes, having to
ask someone to come look at my keys.
It will take me a little while to get used to the new
format and it goes really slow for a while, until I re-learn this new phone.
Ok, I have to admit it, no one changed my phone. My brain
did though, and luckily it does not do it often, or at least I can recognize what I am
seeing and make the mental adjustment before it gets too far down my brain stem
to convince me that it’s real and I literally do have to re-learn the phone
pattern.
Now I was around during the rotary type phone and while I
have not used these for the whole part of my 47 years, I have managed it most
of my life. It does sound crazy, but it happens more than I want. That’s Dyslexia
for you.
Has this ever happened to you?
Labels:
Backward Numbers,
Dyslexia,
Dyslexic,
Numbers Switch,
Phones
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Friday, May 9, 2014
What did you say?
I had planned on telling you how about how someone had
switched phones on me at work, but I will save that for another day. Tonight I
want to relate a conversation I had tonight. Well, not the literal conversation
but what I observed during it.
My wife had an interesting day at a great meeting, she
was telling me about the speakers that gave speeches during it and some of the
topics that were mentioned. The story she had to tell me, I got. I was
attentive, got the imagery, felt the story…and it was a good one.
After the story she went on to describe some of the other
things that she felt was interesting. On 1 instance I found that I finished the
story for her; it was not right or even close to what happened. I then
understood that I created it, I saw it, and felt compelled to insert my
version. Which by the way is very frustrating for her. After the quizzical look
and starting over I did my best to follow along. A short time later she stated
a word which I now do not remember at all, and it was as if everything shut
down. I could see her talking, I could hear not words but noise (that is not
meant to be in a mean way). But, I completely lost track. My mind went into
outer space, starting with that “trigger word” and progressing to who knows
where.
It took me a little while to come back, and when reality
did set in, I had missed part of the conversation. In reality it was just a few
seconds, but enough for her to say, Are you even listening to me?”
Well, yes and no. I heard up to the part…..and then….
I do not have to tell you that most people do not like to
tell the same story twice, and some stories do not need to be told twice. While
this was not one of those, I felt guilty for not being more focused on our
conversation.
I do this it seems at random times and for no apparent
reason. A word or phrase will hit me and off I go. It can be with anyone or on
anything. Sometimes it hurts the situation or some ones feelings, sometimes it
helps. I see a different world, which is fine. Recognizing it may benefit both
parties. I had never put it together before.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Words in Pictures
Recently, we were to attend a Graduation at the
University of GA for my Niece. I was speaking with my Nephew he and he told me,
“I am pretty sure it will be crowded, so I will meet you inside the
Auditorium.” He went on to say, “If it’s not crowded I will meet outside near
the front door, in front of the steps.”
Let’s stop right there. In the previous text, how did you
dissimulate that information?
Did you just understand those instructions? Or, did you
see the whole picture?
No, it is not a trick question, and it was a topic of
discussion with my wife and I.
Let me explain, while researching Dyslexia I ran across
this post http://www.happydyslexic.com/node/9.
The post/article under the heading “Dyslexics think in pictures instead of
words” hit me like a ton of bricks. I had read this many times but it was not
until I was reading this in conjunction with the phone call did I understand
what I was seeing and what I was hearing.
As he was telling me that he would be inside if it was
crowded, I saw him, I saw the auditorium, I saw carpet, walls, hallways and
crowds of faceless people milling about. I actually saw it, I did not just
leave it with the words.
In the next breath he stated that he may be outside next
to the steps. Well, again I saw the whole picture…him standing there in a
jacket hands in pockets, the building, glass, trees, steps, concrete…everything.
I exclaimed “That’s it!”
I turned to my wife and told her the same thing that our
Nephew had just told me. I asked her if she saw anything or did she just understand
the words/instructions? Answer: She just understood and did not need to draw a
picture or go into detail.
What amazed me is that I saw the colorized version in
remarkable detail in seconds, and if given a few more seconds I would have
drawn in more details.
My wife asked me why would I do that, I responded, “Heck,
I thought everyone did that.”
The next question that followed was, “If you never have
been there how do you know what it looks like?” Answer: I don’t, but that does
not make any less real or change my thought process. I draw the image as I
think it will be. It does not matter what it actually is, and when I do see it
in person, there are usually enough similarities there. So, in essence it does
not matter to me. I know that sounds strange, but that is how it is.
To confirm it was not a fluke, I tried a similar scenario
with a colleague at work. The results were the same.
So, what can I draw from this and what can you take away?
It is that while you are talking to me or someone else with Dyslexia, it may
take a few more seconds for us to grasp than you, but understand that we are
creating the word, instructions, phrase or story in Pictures or Hollywood
Movies as you tell it. We see the pictures; we do not follow the word.
What are your thoughts?
Labels:
Dyslexia,
Dyslexic,
How a Dyslexic See's
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