Some of the challenges, such as Attention Deficit Disorder, expressive processing impairments, and Social Anxiety Disorder, came from within me. And some of the challenges arose as a result of living through chaotic financial circumstances, and the impact this had on my family.

Although I was born with some impairments, I was blessed with some good native intelligence (My ACT score was 34.)and an ability to interpret, retain, and utilize what I learn. And, I have a great sense of humor. These assets have helped me to endure, and to prevail.

One of my impairments is Attention Deficit Disorder. The ADD makes it easy to lose focus, hard to organize and prioritize, and, a double edged sword, customary to think outside the box.

I also have some other, hard to pinpo

Social Anxiety Disorder, which had started out, for me, as extreme shyness and fear of crowds, or strangers,had, with the bullying, grown to where I dreadeded lunch time, and was afraid to eat at tables or in areas with a lot of people especially popular students. I was anxious standing in line or walking in the hallways, even sitting in class, let alone participating. I avoided eye contact lest I attract the wrong kind of attention. I had but few acquaintances, with social activity limited to what I participated in with my family. I led a very isolated life.

In the past 8 years, I have had to relocate twice, while my father held and was cut from three different jobs in three different parts of the country.

The first relocation, in the middle of my fifth grade year, was from Orange County, NY to Tulsa,Oklahoma.The different social environment and my own, inherent shyness caused much bullying and trauma for me. My classmates prized size, appearance, wealth and atheletic accomplishments over intellectual pursuits, creativity and diversity. This was particularly problematic for an unathletic, inactive, and slightly overweight youth with glasses who spoke with a different accent than his new peers, and who liked to read about history and space.

Being bullied, was miserable daily torture. I was not bullied by the really popular kids, just kids at the middle of the social hierarchy with their own ?in crowd.? The popular kids, the elite school athletes, might occassionally tease but were not cruel towards me. They merely looked the other way while other, less socially prominent kids were the bullies. Middle school counselors and administrators did little to stop or prevent the abuse. They meted out minor punishments (verbal rebuke, detention) for those who bullied, which caused the bullies to resent me more, and to become more discreet about bullying.

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