While winter certainly has challenging moments, I’m learning there are some plus sides to it as well. Let’s take barn chores for example. While it’s certainly cold, on the plus side there are no mosquitoes or flies. It’s a lot harder hauling manure buckets through the snow, but it’s easier to clean a stall with frozen poop. Frozen ground is tough to walk on, but there’s a lot less mud for my dog to track in too. Speaking of dogs, our new puppy Tinker Bell is two sided as well. On the one hand she is big and a LOT to manage. On the other hand, she learns quickly, works hard and makes my days a LOT more full. I just love this picture of her because it captures the two sides of her personality. Intense and Thoughtful.
If you think about it, there are two sides to most things in life. I think about it a lot with dyslexia. Here’s a prime example. The other day my son was working on some math problems. When asked to choose the correct statement, he chose this: -6 is to the right of 8as correct. He got it wrong of course and I asked him why he chose that answer. “I don’t know, I forgot which way is right.” Then, my daughter came home and told me that in geometry they were doing some problems and the directions said to “draw a picture.” The problem was about a person being so many feet tall and their shadow being so many feet tall. She drew a very detailed picture of a person and their shadow. When they reviewed the problems in class she was surprised that they were supposed to draw triangles. These are the types of mistakes dyslexics make all the time. They don’t read words carefully, forget the meaning of even simple words, or take words literally rather than inferring a meaning. These errors can be really frustrating. But this is only one side of dyslexia.
On the other side, I believe my kids dyslexic brain is responsible for the unique way they interpret and interact with the world. Here’s a prime example. The other day my son and I were talking with my brother about the rodeo. He was telling us about a friend who as a kid would be challenged to touch the nose of a bull. He explained that some kinds of bulls have a slight delay before they react, but other kinds react immediately. He explained how you really needed to know what kind of bull you were up against. Without a moment’s hesitation, my son said, “So it’s kind’ve a cowboy roulette.” Ba da bing…ba da boom! Instant connection. The photo pictured is a prime example of my daughter’s other side. It’s no surprise that when told to draw a picture she thought in terms of a picture not a triangle. She sees the world. Her photography is a prime example of that vision.
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted. I think it’s because I’ve been struggling a little bit with my own two sides. When I started blogging and writing it was because I was just starting as consultant and a writer and it was a way to find my voice and create an audience. Then my dog died and I needed it to keep me going. Work has picked up and new animals have filled our farm and my to do list. I’m busier and don’t need this is as much. But there’s another side. Recently someone shared with me a connection they had with my blog. I realized my words aren’t just for me, they are to spark thoughts and ideas in you too. Hopefully, my experiences and view help you to see two sides too!
Photo of Tinker Bell by Elena Peterson, 2018
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