I am reminded of a story I heard as a Marine. I do not remember who told the story and I am going to paraphrase it significantly, but it goes something like this:
There once was a professor who was an intense military history buff. One day the professor passes away and goes to heaven. In heaven the professor meets with God and together they walk and have a long conversation about many things the professor had questioned. At the end of their conversation the professor turned to God and asks a final question, “God, I know a lot about the military history of mankind, but could you tell me who was the greatest general you every created?” God replied, “That is easy…” and God gestures to an individual not far from them. The professor looks at the individual, then turns to God with a puzzled expression, “But God I recognize this person as the janitor of the school I went to as a boy…” God’s tone softens in reply, “Mankind made him a janitor… I made greatness…!”
I was a welfare kid that grew up in a small town. In the days of my youth slow kids who had difficulty reading and writing were essential labeled as dumb/retarded and branded with an expectation of deficiency. The idea of dyslexia was rarely ever considered. One of my school memories is of my chemistry teacher who felt it was prudent to inform the class that I would be suited for janitorial work. I remember being fascinated with computers, but I was not allowed to take the computer classes because I could not type fast. I remember being fascinated with psychology, but the teacher who loved to say, “Mickey Mouse” made it a point to shut any door of opportunity in what I can only figure as a displaced retribution toward my older siblings. I was not allowed to take Computers; I was not allowed to take Psychology; I was however, allowed to take Weight lifting pretty much as many times as I wanted. When I graduated high school my GPA was 1.9 and I had the lowest ACT score in the class. For a long time after, the brand of deficiency guided my path. I did not afford myself the notion that my path was based on my own choices, but rather as determinants of a life script in which somebody else guided my destiny.
I later learned that I have a form of dyslexia in which my brain and my eyes have a bit of a processing speed differential. When I read, letters get moved around in my brain making words and sentences make no sense. When I write I also put letters in wrong places and even at times leave entire words out though my brain thinks I wrote the words. One could imagine how dumb I appeared when trying to read a passage out load, or trying to write a paper...! Ironically, even though I had this discovery of dyslexia I still held the brand of deficiency.
I am not a janitor and I am wise enough to know that the person who does janitorial work still holds great value. I am a Marine with the rank of Corporal, an Expert at rifle and pistol, I have a Combat Action ribbon, and an Honorable Discharge. I have a 3.8 GPA Associates degree and approximately ten years as a successful Land Development Designer. At the age of 38 I essentially started over to do what I wanted to do in high school and for six years I went back to school to pursue Psychology. I received a 3.2 GPA Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a 3.6 GPA Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. Currently I hold a License in professional counseling and a License in addiction counseling. I have done okay, but even to this day my successes are shrouded by my brand of deficiencies.
The problem with me, and I am confident to say the vast majority of the human race, is that I have never known that which was created when I was born. I believe in what it is to be human and what it is to be an autonomous human. I believe we are born with a natural temperament that is the predominate base of our identity and as we develop into human, if we master our predominate temperament we become the unique human we were born to be: If... We are nurtured, taught, and allowed to be. Unfortunately what the norm appear to consider as human is a simple minded opposable thumbs and a limited concept and understanding of high level thinking. The norm seem to think that it is an extrinsic personality based on zeitgeist expectations is what defines who we are, how we will be, and where we should be placed. I believe it is Character of which we were created; Character is how we define ourselves; and Character is how we guide our own destiny. But what is Character…?
Collaborative topic: What were you branded with...?
I encourage you: Feel free to collaborate...
Thank you,
Ronald E. Crampton, MA, LAC, LPC
AV Treatment Services, LLC
13791 E. Rice Pl. Suite 104
Aurora, CO 80015
(720) 250-8432
Website: http://avtreatment.com
email: recrampton@avtreatment.com