May The Gods bless Rick Riordan. I came to the world of Percy Jackson much later than most. Since then, I have consumed the Tales of Percy, The heroes of Olympus and The trials of Apollo as quickly as I could manage. But I often re-read the original series. There is something so wholesome and relatable about those books, especially The Lightning Thief.
But hands down, the greatest thing Rick Riordan gave his readers, was the ability to reclaim Dyslexia and ADHD as superpowers:
“Taken together, it’s almost a sure sign. The letters float off the page when you read, right? That’s because your mind is hardwired for ancient Greek. And the ADHD-you’re impulsive, can’t sit still in the classroom. That’s your battlefield reflexes. In a real fight, they’d keep you alive. As for the attention problems, that’s because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortal’s.”
Beautiful.
My Partner (Soon-to-be-Wife) is a Therapist, and about 9 months ago after many discussions, analysis, Youtube explanations, research and a rowdy back and forth of “Nuh Uh” “Yuh huh”, I had to come to terms with the fact that it was incredibly likely (If not certain) that I had some form of ADHD.
As of now, I remain un-diagnosed formally, however as it happens I was talking to my father a few months back about my possible ADHD and was hit with “Oh yeah, my doctor said I’ve got that” so the likelihood is high.
In the UK, chasing a formal diagnosis is a long and arduous process, and whether I decide to begin that process will depend on several factors. I am a master of procrastination and if the stars are not in alignment, then progress will not be made.
In the meantime, managing my abilities, utilising resources, learning how to constructively parent myself whilst not falling into the depths of despair over the slightest setback, these are all things I have been endeavouring to put into practice. Coupled with regular therapy as I mentioned in my last post, I am certainly on productive road.
Let’s hope The Gods are watching.