Diagnosis

I was diagnosed with giftedness when I was in the first grade.

Yes, I said "diagnosed."

Although being gifted could be considered a positive trait, it is also a label immediately identifying a person as different from the general population. Thus began the quest to find commonality with other human beings.

It has been a long quest.

As a child and teenager, I didn't really connect with anyone. I didn't fit in with those students who discussed music, television, or sports. The other gifted kids were discussing quarks and black holes at the lunch table. I was pondering the theological and philosophical questions of the universe, comparing the connotations of synonyms, and reading every book in the library (fiction).

As a late teenager, I donned my Doc Martins, shaved my head, and pretended to be normal. (Ironic?)

Finally, as an adult, I realized that there is only One who knows me. And one day I will fully know as, even now, I am fully known.

I do not pretend that I am like other gifted kids or that all gifted kids are the same. There are general characteristics that most gifted kids share. However, the most important similarity among humans is the fact that we are each unique.

These are my confessions as told by a gifted, introverted, lifelong learner.