My Supports

Lists, lists, and more lists. If it weren't for my daily planner, work notebook, car notebook, and post-its, I often think I would wander around in circles trying to remember if I finished what I was supposed to do, or go, or buy. My parents describe me as a "free thinker." I think it's their polite way of saying that my thoughts are so free they often fly away. When I was younger, I struggled with task completion and general organization. With a jam packed, fast paced schedule, it was easy to make excuses for why I seemed to be disorganized. Yet, as I grew older, and my schedule became more routine, I started to struggled with remembering homework, finishing projects, and following simple directions. My grandmother, a reading specialist in an at risk school district, had begun to give me notebooks to "write stories in" when I was about 10. She knew I loved to write, so the notebooks began to follow me everywhere. Soon after, she had showed me how she likes to write things down; simple notes to help her remember things. I idolized my grandmother, so I began to do the same. Ah ha! Her plan worked. I began to realize that my lists help me get things done. I wasn't getting left behind in school because my homework was getting completed more often. I knew what was going on. It was my saving grace. By the time I got to college, I carried a daily planner where I wrote down assignments, appointments, and daily lists. I also kept post its in my backpack, and was constantly tacking notes onto my laptop keypad and books. I also kept a note taking app open on my computer at all times, where I wrote notes to connect with the notes I would type in class. I don't always remember to write things down, but when I do, the note becomes a sort of life line. It's almost as if my notepad helps to keep my head connected to my body.

A challenge that I don't have, but have seen people close to me, is the challenge of comfortable communication. That is, the ability to express my thoughts, ideas, and needs in a way that is easily understand by others. If this were a problem that I experienced in my own life, I'd hope that I had a support system of people close to me. The people that I would rely on would be ones that helped to model different ways to express ideas. They would also help to build my confidence in interacting with others. With a communication challenge, it can be incredibly easy to lose confidence in your own ability to succeed with the task of expressing and being understood. Knowing my own personality, I think that I would definitely become frustrated frequently. I would also be sure to set up my own personal environment with bits and pieces of motivation. Perhaps notes to myself reminding me about successful conversations, photographs of moments that I felt proud of myself and my relationships, things of that nature. The most difficult thing about these supports, is that it can be extremely challenging to find both the people to help model and build confidence, but also to find the confidence and ability to persevere through the challenging moments.