Introduction

"Giftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm. This asynchrony increases with higher intellectual capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted renders them particularly vulnerable and requires modifications in parenting, teaching and counseling in order for them to develop optimally." ~The Columbus Group

I've always known I was different. My mind simply works differently than the average person. Not better. Not worse. Just different. When I was diagnosed as "gifted" early in my educational career, I gained a label that made me think I was advantaged in some way. Maybe I had been given a blessing where it was my responsibility to become something great and change the world. Perhaps I had an asset requiring me to be spectacular. Nowhere was the concept that I could just...be.

I entered adulthood feeling like a fraud. Where was this grand scheme? Where was the path allowing me to do great amounts of good for the world? Why did I still have the desire to be a catalyst of change when everyone around me was content to work a 9 to 5? What was wrong with me!?

It wasn't until I had completed grad school and my mom brought home the definition of asynchrony that I began to understand why I felt disconnected from the average population. Through her study of gifted education, I started to comprehend myself in a deeper way. Being "gifted" isn't necessarily an advantage. It's a struggle. Just like everything else in life, it has its pros and cons. While I might have read at a 10th grade level as a 3rd grader, my social skills were the same as a kindergartner. I was asynchronous.

Through my interactions with my (gifted) husband and watching my young daughters, I have realized I am not alone. As my girls grow, I begin to see signs of asynchronous development in each of them as well. I've realized I cannot help them navigate the minefields of life unless I can come to terms with my own holes. The best thing I can do is to push into my journey...and allow others to walk with me.

My thoughts seem to touch on subjects as disconnected as my development. I have no overarching subject, just thoughts. So, this is a record of my journey...into acceptance...into understanding...into giftedness.