Description,
From the very start of having to, “sit and listen” in classes, I developed a strong talent for appearing like I was listening, while my brain was somewhere else completely. I remember even having to take a hearing test because I never responded when the teacher was calling my name.
My ability to daydream contributed to my success as an artist, it is what helped me become an astute observer of my environment. In today’s world I would have definitely been put on attention deficit disorder medicine. If a child is not doing well or not paying attention in class we so easily dismiss it as a “disorder”, and put them on medicine to “fix” them and make them listen. The issue is not the child at all, the issue is a typical classroom structure where we think it is normal for a child to be able to sit for long periods of time and comprehend everything a teacher is talking about. Instead of doling out medicine to children maybe we should reconsider the structure of our classrooms.
In the meantime, remember it is not the end of the world if you don’t catch every conversation, or if someone is talking and you tend not to listen. People do a lot of talking in this world and not all of it needs to be heard. Learning to shut people off is like putting up a shield to protect yourself from the idiocies of the world.
So, fly free, let your brain take you where it wants to go!