Thank you for sharing your experience so eloquently. I don't know if it's an Autistic/ADHD thing, or an AFAB thing, or something else, but even though my life experience is very different from yours, everything you write here about your perception of yourself and your place in the world resonates for me. I was raised by Ivy League parents who thought intelligence (as it is commonly perceived in Eurocentric cultures) was all that really mattered. My older sister was the first in many generations NOT to go to college, and I ended up with two AA degrees, but dropped out before completing my BA. School was a hellscape for me. I didn't try, either, but got good grades anyway because... I don't really know why. And yet, I left education feeling burnt out, defeated, and useless. There is something here, I think, about being neurodivergent and trying to navigate a neurotypically biased world. I look forward eagerly to reading the next in this series. You are a brilliant and soulful writer.
I think there are so many ways that the educational system and larger ideas about “intelligence” can make us feel stupid. I was so surprised when I finally got to college, that it wasn’t full of absolutely brilliant people but just regular people. It took me so long to get there in some ways because I didn’t understand that it was just like any other place.
Thank you for sharing with us! So much of this resonates for me as well. I also used to think I was stupid and in some ways I still do! I’m eager to here more and will have something to share as this series progresses. ❤️❤️
Thank you for sharing your experience so eloquently. I don't know if it's an Autistic/ADHD thing, or an AFAB thing, or something else, but even though my life experience is very different from yours, everything you write here about your perception of yourself and your place in the world resonates for me. I was raised by Ivy League parents who thought intelligence (as it is commonly perceived in Eurocentric cultures) was all that really mattered. My older sister was the first in many generations NOT to go to college, and I ended up with two AA degrees, but dropped out before completing my BA. School was a hellscape for me. I didn't try, either, but got good grades anyway because... I don't really know why. And yet, I left education feeling burnt out, defeated, and useless. There is something here, I think, about being neurodivergent and trying to navigate a neurotypically biased world. I look forward eagerly to reading the next in this series. You are a brilliant and soulful writer.
I think there are so many ways that the educational system and larger ideas about “intelligence” can make us feel stupid. I was so surprised when I finally got to college, that it wasn’t full of absolutely brilliant people but just regular people. It took me so long to get there in some ways because I didn’t understand that it was just like any other place.
Yes! There is this weird mystique about it, when it's really just another place to learn stuff.
Thank you for sharing with us! So much of this resonates for me as well. I also used to think I was stupid and in some ways I still do! I’m eager to here more and will have something to share as this series progresses. ❤️❤️
Thank you Alyssa!