When Talents turn into Disabilities

We all have talents that we treasure and that define us.  What happens when your talents turn into disabilities?

Talent One – Public Discourse.  Learning has come easy to me and I enjoy it.  I think it stems back to kindergarten and learning to read.  It came fast and easy and I have never stopped.  Reading allowed me to experience a wide range of ideas and opinions of which my own grew.  Being well informed allows one to engage in public discourse with confidence.  There is nothing better than a lively political discussion.

Talent Two – Artistic Dexterity.  I am not sure if artistic dexterity is the right terminology, but I have always been able to learn tasks that required hand and finger dexterity easily and to my enjoyment.  This first began with penmanship.  I was able to write in many different styles and mediums fluently.  Later I began to draw and realized, with practice, I did fairly well.  I also enjoy music and decided to take piano lessons when I was about 21.  While I am no “pianist,” with practice I play and take pleasure in it.  I also learned the saxophone and then the guitar; however, my guitar skill was sub par as I have small hands and short fingers.  I also like planting flower gardens and landscaping.  All these activities have brought much enjoyment and fulfillment to my life.

So, how have my talents changed?  Three years ago I was diagnosed with a neurological disorder called Myasthenia Gravis.  In my case, it causes a weakness in the muscle dexterity of my fingers/hands and tongue/speech. Great, huh?  I cannot articulate many words clearly, have to speak slowly and have lost much volume to my voice.  I am also not able to play any musical instruments, writing has become slow and uneven, gardening is okay done in small increments, and my typing ability has gone from 120 words per minute to hunt-and-peck at times.  So, what is a person to do?

Without sounding trite, be thankful of the many things I can still do and go on with life.  I have learned to compensate.  It is very humbling to have lost my clarity of speech and ability to converse easily, but I hope I have become a better listener.  The positive expansion of blogs has allowed me the opportunity to express my thoughts in a different format.  I have never been much of a writer of anything, so this is going to be an on-the-job learning experience. Whether anyone else finds value in my musings, I don’t know; however, it will be good for me.