Legacy - Family Voices

Legacy

No More Shame In My Game

A personal reflection on writing publicly with dyslexia, choosing courage over shame, and making room for an authentic voice.

I have received several e-mails as well as several phone calls over the past two weeks; they all were expressing concerns about my spelling and grammar in a professional blog like a point of thought. I guess many people missed the original point of this blog. Originally I wanted an outlet for all the technical thoughts running through my mind. I also needed a place where a person with dyslexia like me, could go and write every day in hopes of improving my overall communication skills. When I originally began to blog, I did not expect anybody to follow or read my thoughts. It was truly a pleasant surprise when I started receiving feedback from people validating, disagreeing or commenting on some of the thoughts running through my mind. Let's take a second to go through what it takes to complete a blog entry, just as a point of reference for my blogging community.

I begin by dictating my entire train of thought using Dragon NaturallySpeaking (voice to text recognition software). then I will begin to Go line By line and listen to what I have dictate it using Natural reader (text to voice software). as I listened to what I have dictate it, I will begin to insert the punctuation that I believe is correct this usually takes 5 to 6 passes over each paragraph I have dictate. At that point I will start looking for the word (and). I have learned over time that this is usually a place where I have paused my train of thought; this usually indicates it need some type of punctuation. People will begin to notice as they read what I have written it has a certain cadence to it similar to a rhyme or a limerick. This is a tool that I use inside my mind not only to deal with punctuation, but also to do with overall flow. it is almost as if I was hearing a drumbeat in my head and when the machine reads a paragraph, a article back to me. It has a certain beat' I consider it very much correct. The average time in creating a blog which would be 3 to 4 paragraphs will usually be in the range of 1 - 2 hour.

Even though I highly appreciate everyone's concerns about the overall appearance to the outside world of a person with dyslexia looking unintelligent because of poor grammar and spelling. I believe at this point in my life I am comfortable (no more shame in my game) with who Leon Lewis Jr. is in his abilities. If it means I lose a contract, not get a job because of the grammar and spelling. I can live with that two. if people cannot look past a disability and realized that there is some intelligence outside of the normal realm of proper grammar and spelling. I am good with that two. For some strange reason in my life I am highly comfortable with who I am and what my abilities are. This is not a excuse for poor grammar or spelling it is what it is, all I can do is write every day. try my best to improve my overall communication skills. if that is not enough for the World So be it. I will sleep well tonight with the knowledge that I truly give, 100% to everything I do, I will spend every day trying to improve myself in one way or another.

I would like to say in conclusion thank everyone very much, for your concerns, but after many years of struggling with the fear of ridicule about my lack of writing skills I have] become comfortable with whom, Leon Lewis Jr. is and I think I am willing to live with any ridicule and criticism about my writing style or lack of it. At this point in my life love always Leon Lewis Jr.