Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» Getting old ain't for wimps! Are you up to it? How is your memory? Ever forget to serve a side dish you made? Well you will. Thrilled right?
Quite adequate for me and still pretty darn good---it turns out that my species of ADHD tends to come with high intelligence and a great memory according to my doctor.
If that's true for my case, it's a trade-off of which I approve.
I am very happy for you tom. I guess having high intelligence is a dam* good side effect to be saddled with if you have ADHD. Some folks are luckier than others though I think it has to do with your parents. That is part of the legacy their coupling afforded you. That you take advantage of it is entirely up to you! Thank you for your reply lucky fella. How has ADHD impacted your life? Do you have to take meds to mitigate the severity?
I took various meds when I was first diagnosed (as an adult, when we had taken our youngest in to be diagnosed---as we left, the doctor said to me, "Oh, by the way, we can treat your ADHD too.")
I haven't taken any meds for it in years. Obsessiveness also goes along with my ADHD. Over the years I have modified that tendency I have to solve everything---or at least to have a reasonable stance ready to share toward pretty much all current issues. (An impossible task of course, but what knowledge I've acquired in its pursuit has given me much satisfaction.) And that modification has freed up sufficient energy for me to accommodate my ADHD traits for at least 20 years.
Anyway, it's pretty good looking from the inside out. As to others, I'm not sure---I once commented to a guy I worked with who had asked me a question one morning and which took me most of the day to evaluate. I approached him after work one day and gave him an answer. I finished my answer with the comment, "You know how my mind works."
His response surprised me---he paused, looked at me, and said with emphasis, "Nobody knows how your mind works."
Oh my gosh tom what a compliment that is! I mean those few words say volumes. I had a very smart boss...the smartest guy I ever worked for. I so admired how his mind worked. He could look at something for what seemed to be seconds..assess it and zero in on the problem and how to fix it best and easiest. I told him once that I sure wished I could enter his mind when I was stumped so I could see what he would do. He told me he knew that but he also told me that all I had to do was pursue and I'd get there too. He had so much confidence in my ability to analyze and figure out what was wrong. He is the one who gave me the confidence to become an internal auditor. You are entirely on your own when you audit the work of others. There is no one there but you and you either sink or swim. Everyone should have such a boss at least once. How DOES your mind work? My Jim is a slow thinker. Very methodical. I guess like an engineer. I don't have that kind of mind. I did find my metier was numbers. Who knew in high school I'd end up like that? I think very fast and act very fast and when you do that you are more apt to make mistakes. Jim's dad told him "measure twice cut once". I'm apt to just cut and then have to redo it. Thank you for your reply tom! :)
My mother got tired of trying to answer my questions---she finally started saying (when I was about 8 years old) that "if you're that smart, you figure it out."
That was inappropriate for her to say and it was both a blessing and a curse---I was smart enough, but I wasted a certain amount of time reinventing the wheel and other such things.
There were severe penalties imposed if I cam up with the wrong answer, so I learned not to speak unless I was absolutely sure of what I was talking about.
Much later in life, I realized I could say, "I don't know, but let me see if I can get you some information on that."
I once answered a question about tire profiles for some "good old boys." They were absolutely sure I was wrong---I wasn't. And I brought in the appropriate reference material.
Many many things fascinate me. What gratifies me significantly is when my youngest boy and I are talking and he says, "Dad, remember when you told me...fill in the blank." Last week he talked about how I told him that the greater one's intelligence and the readier one's "fellow" feelings, the more likely that one will see 10 issues worth one's active concern while those less gifted may see only one---and one may therefore tend to take on many more responsibilities than he/she can effectively handle.
Let you know when I get there. Not quite but just around the corner. Oh I already sometimes forget to put out for my husband dishes I have prepared for him.
I was born a space cadet. I was forever daydreaming and in my own world. I was an only child for the first six years and my parents both worked, so I entertained myself A LOT. I drew, watched television, and read a lot.
So, while I am intelligent, I am a space cadet still to this day. I have lost more credit cards than you can imagine, so, I do not know if I will ever know if I am senile since I was kind of born that way.
I seem to navigate well in society still, so as far as I know, people are treating me like I am not dangerous to society.
All things considered Sharon I think you turned out quite well. Being an only child who had to entertain herself a lot isn't easy. Solitary activities during your formative years? So you really learned how to socialize as an adult right? You didn't have the benefit of being with lots of kids e arly on..having lots of friends. I was a loner. I had one friend from nursery school to 10th grade. She dumped me then because she started hanging out with the "fast" crowd all of whom smoked! That was fast way back when! I was very shy and would withdraw when I felt threatened. I still do. It's my safe place. I'm now a people person here and in my real life but only when I control it. Not when it is thrust upon me. Thank you for your reply! :)
tom jackson 