The Power of Words
When I was 12 my family moved from a small semi-rural town to an inner urban area of a bustling metropolis. I was never one to be shy before this, but I had lived my whole life in one town and knew everyone and was one of the big kids on the block.
In this urban environment I was displaced and overwhelmed. The stimulus of the city and the addition of hormones to my life kept me from doing very well at most things I had done well at before. Seeing the negative impact my mother moved us again to a little less urban area of the city.
Depsite having less urban stimuli, my grades and drive had not returned. I turned into a fairly lackluster, get by on talent, kind of student. Never trying hard enough until the last minute. There hadn’t been a challenge in the new school systems. No contest to push me.
Then one day my seventh grade math teacher, Mrs Leonard, had me move to the desk closest to her. Thinking it might help inspire me to be a better student, I thought. After a few weeks of sitting closer to her, while everyone was working on assignments, she looks at me while I’m doodling on the assignment for the day. She knew I was waiting until we had 10 minutes left and then I would rush through it to get it completed. She then says in her very matter of fact tone, “Bobby, you are one of the smartest kids I teach. You could be an engineer or anything you want.” I looked at her and didn’t know what quite to say. I went back to my doodling and then decided to just finish the homework early.
Month later towards the end of the school year I received a notice that I would be participating in an early placement math test for Algebra the coming year. I knew that this test was coming up but only the honor roll students were going to be taking it. Perplexed I asked my guidance counselor about it to find out that you could also take it if nominated by a teacher. Mrs. Leonard had nominated me to the test.
I took the test and placed in the top 20% meaning that I would be in the algebra class with the brightest students in my grade. All of them were straight A dedicated students while I was a little less driven. Pulling my grades together as I needed them. I was stunned.
It is hard to say the real impact of this butterfly event on my life, other than that I have never forgotten them. They are a voice of confidence when I doubt my own ability. While I have never seen Mrs Leonard since leaving Woodward Park Middle School 25 years ago, her words carry on in my life to this day.
As many people with ADD deal with different issues of self doubt, inattentiveness, and procrastination as children and adults, the words of confidence from one person can carry you a lifetime. As important as medication, organization, and coping methods are to manage ADD the words of confidence and faith are essential to our success and ability to overcome.
You never know if your words will be the butterfly flapping it’s wings in some far off place for someone around you and how it will change their lives.
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