When I was a child I had ADHD (Attention Deficiency Hyperactivity Disorder). Of course there was no medical name for it at that time. I couldn’t sit still. When I was told to sit still I could not think. I think best when I was moving. They punished me because I did not follow the rules. I hate mathematics. Although famous speaker and author Marcus Buckingham said that there is no such thing as “bad mathematics students,” only “bad mathematics teachers” there is however a situation wherein some people are dyslexic when it comes to numbers. This is of course another deficiency. And this explains the reason why multi-Billionaire in British Pound currency Richard Branson of the famous Virgin brands is deficient. He is dyslexic.
Well let’s go back to my story. Today I will be the object of our study. There is no person in the world apart from God who knows me as well as I do.
I talked a lot. I wanted conversation all the time. But I was told to stay quiet or else I would be disturbing others. This is why they punished me. But when it came to class recitations, I refused to participate. I hate speaking in public. But I wanted to move a lot. This is why I could never stay still. And so they made me stand in a corner in order to stay still. I stood on a corner so often they practically named that corner after me. I am absolutely certain I had ADHD. But they still have not discovered it yet. And the medication for that has not yet been invented.
I joined the basketball team. I made it to varsity. I would practice 3 times a day all 3 hours each. And on weekends compete against other teams for a few more games. My grades were low; I was branded as dumb and to prove them right I flunked high school a couple of times. I earned me a PhD in High School. In case you’re wondering what it is, PhD means “Passing High-School with Difficulty.” I went to college only after spending endless summers in remedial classes. I hate memorization. And because I hated it I performed poorly in subjects that required a lot of it. When I got bored because I hated memory work I would move around and do other things. Oh I am sure I had ADHD.
This is why when I discovered the story of Gillian Barbara Lynne I got excited. Gillian was an underachiever. She could not pass many subjects and she was constantly moving and could not hold her attention and concentration.
She also had ADHD. But this deficiency was not discovered yet. Lynne had been underperforming at school, so her mother took her to the doctor and explained about her fidgeting and lack of focus. After hearing everything her mother said, the doctor told Lynne that he needed to talk to her mother privately for a moment. He turned on the radio and walked out. Both the doctor and the mother looked at Lynne. When she was left alone and the music came out of the radio Lynne began dancing. The doctor told the mom, there is nothing wrong with Lynne. Lynne is a dancer. And so the doctor encouraged the mother to take her to dance school. Mercifully the mother agreed to the advice. The moment she hit the school she felt right at home. She became an excellent dancer. Even at age 13 she was reaping awards. And when she grew older she became a choreographer and director working with names like the Royal Opera House, Royal Shakespeare Company and English National Opera as well as many West End and Broadway shows.
She became a prolific TV choreographer and director for The Muppet Show series. Today she is known best for her work with Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber as she choreographed Webber’s musicals like Cats, The Phantom of the Opera. She is a multi-millionaire in US Dollars. Had Gillian Lynne been a child today she would have been given medication and told to calm down. This is why I am sure today that just like Lynne, I had ADHD when I was a child. Good thing they had no medication then.
I may have ADHD but I know that God has a plan for me. You should know that Scriptures say that you are wonderfully and beautifully made. So please calm down… without medication.