THANK-YOU NOTES

Thank You for Being My Friend

How an online friend from Australia with excellent grammar skills helps me write in spite of my multiple brain deficits. Hint — she never looks down on me.

Dear Adrienne Beaumont,

Your last two writing prompts have left me emotional. You’ve known me long enough to know I am a person of deep emotion, but I don’t act out or vent it much. I have a clear purpose in life and lots of friends and family to love. Thus, I live a contented, happy life. And I laugh a lot — a lot, and mostly at myself.

You wrote for Australian Travel Blogs and your Grammer and writing are perfect. We’ve had great fun laughing about my Iowa English and your Aussie English. You never corrected my grammar on Facebook comments.

I’d share little tidbits on Facebook and you’d always say how wonderful my writing was. When our dear friend Christine died, I wrote her a poem. You loved it. When I started writing on Medium, you edited it with me and made me feel it was deserving of Christine. If you forgot, here it is:

My multiple brain deficits.

Due to early childhood trauma, brain trauma, and dyslexia, I could not read until I was twelve years old. I couldn’t spell and still can’t; never learned the multiplication tables, never learned phonics, or grammar rules. I reverse letters and numbers and remember things I see on the left as being on the right. My marks in school were F’s, and I failed eighth grade — drum roll, please. TWICE, and when I laugh at myself because of it I get lectured about self-deprecating humor.

I know people mean well. They thought me dumb, told me I was dumb, I read my first book at age 13, and was in some special Ed classes.

Despite deficits, I had unknown gifts.

Since I didn’t speak much, no one knew I remembered verbatim every word I heard. And when I learned to read it my brain remembered pictures of the pages so I never had to study. Just flip through a book. That was still weird, so I kept quiet about it. I wanted to be like others.

I was very talented at hairstyling, so I went to beauty school and worked as a stylist for 20 years. I paid for my own university classes and got all A’s except for a class in the math department.

I got BAs in Anthropology and Sociology. Graduated with Highest Honors. I was given a full teaching and research assistantship in sociology for my Master's. That meant no tuition and $5,000 a semester in exchange for teaching and supervising research projects.

I went on to do a lot of wonderful things and saw awesome students and others discover their strengths.

So if laughing at myself helps relieve the embarrassment and torment I took as a child — let me laugh. If it helps me feel a bit normal today— let me laugh.

Then in 1999, I was in an accident and six areas of my brain were damaged. I could not read, struggled to put sentences together, and lost large blocks of knowledge. My vocabulary was preserved but I had to learn other things, like reading, all over again.

I still can’t spell, I still mess up words evne whrn I can spell them and teh comes out wrong every time. Ti si os hard ot write when your fingers are dyslexic too.

But Adrienne, I never feel dumb or less than with you. I feel I have worth as a writer and that there is more for me to do in my life.

This last week you gave two writing prompts.

The first one touched me.

When I read your stories, I always laugh as I hear your words to me, “I write shite stories.” No, you write beautiful stories.

I responded to your prompt.

Then you wrote another prompt and story.

That really made me cry. Before the Virus, you were planning to visit me in my humble Iowa town. It’s an hour's drive to go dining, Adrienne. My home and garden are not fancy. I don't even have a shower.

I was so touched I responded to your prompt.

I loved my farm and animals. After the accident that injured my back, neck, and six areas of my brain, I couldn’t keep it up. I guess I’m doing a little grieving.

But grieving is good, and I have time. I think all the things I’ve experienced in life have value in some way.

Touching people with words.

If I ever touch someone with my stories; if I ever help someone to discover their strengths as a writer, help someone start a business, or do anything with words; it will be because of you.

In spite of my multiple brain deficits, you never looked down on me.

Thank you Adrienne Beaumont, for being my friend.

Think about doing Adrienne’s prompts. It’s refreshing and centering to touch tender places. You can find the prompt here.

Thank you Trista Signe Ainsworth for this wonderful home to share this heartfelt thank-you note.

Thank you, dear readers, for your understanding and patience with my simple words. Accept yourself just as you are, for within you have great beauty and gifts to share.

My Love, Katie