Friday, September 22, 2017

Two Explosions of Talent

Updated 1/31/2019

I'll fill in some holes.

"Most people did not know that I already exhibited signs of savant syndrome, congenital. I played piano at an early age. My first piano recital was at five years old. I got used to the word 'prodigy' and took advanced placement classes.

I got lost in the school system when I moved, so I left and started college at 16. An AA at 18, a BA at 19, and an MA later at 24
" http://thoughtfulveg.blogspot.com/2017/03/a-case-for-misdiagnosis.html


The first explosion of talent was when I was 5. I played piano. I didn't think it was some great, special thing, but other people did. My grandmother lived near and she was a piano teacher. I kind of shoved all that away when I moved a county away when I was 9. 

People here in this county were using words like "prodigy." No one knew of that where I moved to. I was starting all over again, minus the piano. Sure, I had one to practice on, but the structure of regular practice and lessons were gone.

My studies accelerated. I was in the 4th grade. The teacher had to have noticed because a woman I did not know took me out of class and did testing. She was most likely the school psychologist. I ended up in a reading class in the next grade.

I continued in higher reading classes throughout my schooling years. It wasn't just reading, but also math. Algebra was offered in junior high school, so I could be with my peers. 

I left that school district at the end of my high school sophomore year.

When I came back to this county I dropped out of high school and went to the community college. I taught myself guitar. I still blew my grandmother away by asking for the sheet music for Moonlight Sonata. She said it was too hard for me. I came back playing it.




I went on to regular universities for my BA and MA degrees. My BA transcripts note I had "Honors at Entrance." This might be because of my young age and that I had already completed most required course work. I got the AA when I was 18 and the BA when I was 19.

The MA was a few years later after the BA when I had  started work. I found out about a grant. I ended up getting a monthly stipend while school was in session. In other words, I was paid to attend. Most school fees were covered by the grant. I was responsible for the books. I used those monthly payments for my rent. Basically, my MA was free to me.
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My second explosion of talent would be now. 

I had a severe bleeding stroke that left me in a coma. I was never to regain consciousness, read, write, or speak.
 
How is it I am able to write these with only one finger? Supposedly most of my brain died in that horrible bleed. What happened? I am smarter than ever.

Researchers can see the development of my talent. I have over 200 of these essays public on this blog alone. One just needs to compare earlier writings. A quality I have noticed is length. Older essays are shorter.

It seems that this is happening all over again. Instead of playing piano, I am writing. All I can say is, "Play it again, Sam."



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1/31/2019

There are  two distinct explosions of creativity- one now and one in childhood. They are different. I played music as a child, mostly piano, but I taught myself guitar at age 17. There was a bit of trumpet in the 4th grade and I was top of the class. Now, as an adult, it is writing. There was a major CNS incident, making all activity difficult to nearly impossible. Writing emerged in the non-fiction short story.
Initially, academics soar high. Now, the topics of neurology and physics are high.
I guess my case illustrates falling through the cracks. I slipped by both times. Two distinct periods of time constitute "Double." What is the term then?



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