Welcome to the Neurodivergent World of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Did you know there's a parallel reality of people living among us - people who were born different and possess magic powers and curses? As children, these people are often bullied and labelled "weird" by "normal" kids but once they learn to use their powers - preferably with the support from others like them - they can become very powerful and do great deeds.
I feel a disclaimer is in place: I'm appalled by the narrowminded and transphobic views the author of Harry Potter has stood for, and I couldn't be further from their opinion. I lived the HP saga and had the revelation this blog post is about long before these they expressed these opinions, and I sincerely hope mentioning HP won't hurt anyones feelings.
My journey with Harry Potter started rather late - considering my age. I remember the huge rave about the books and the movies and I remember thinking it's just another hype to sell people useless crap (like plastic broomsticks - WTF why don't people just make them with a stick and twigs with zero cost..?!). At the time, I studied at the university and didn't have time for anything else than studying and related activities, so I never took the time to read the books or see the movies.
Then I heard friends and family (who I knew wouldn't fall for commercial nonsense) rave about the books and I got curious. Long story short, it wasn't until after the second last book came out that my husband and I started to read the books and got hooked immediately. It was just as good - or even better - than everyone had promised. And we were glad we were late bloomers, the last book came out just when we had finished the previous - no waiting for a year to get the next part!
Many many years later I got my ADHD diagnosis and simultaneously learned that I had lived with an undiagnosed autistic person for most of my life. It was like a new world opening in front of my eyes. So much made sense - in my own life, in my family life, the way I had felt out of sync with so many people, how some people behaved... And I felt there was somehow something very familiar with the experience.
But it wasn't until quite recently when the analogy occurred to me: it was like discovering that you're a witch and learning about the world of witchcraft and wizardry, of which the neurotypicals ie. muggles are most often totally ignorant. Such an AHA moment!!
Indeed, it's something you're born with, it comes with magical powers and curses, restraining it will create great damage. And even if the so-called normal people may initially bully you and make you feel miserable and like an outcast, once you find support from your own kind and learn to use your powers, you can do great things, grow beyond the petty and shallow social norms, and look down on your bullies feeling sorry for them. How little they know of the world!
This came to my mind today after reading a heartbreaking post by a mom of an autistic kid about exclusion many "normal" kids and their parents(!!) practice towards "different" kids. Being excluded from birthday parties, while everyone else is invited, is a painful experience for a young human being looking for approval and validation. I wish every neurodivergent child, teenager, and adult suffering from feeling weird, awkward, unpopular, too much, or too little, had their own Hagrid knocking on the door and showing them the hidden world of other neurodivergent people.
Never in my life I've felt so home than I have in the peer support groups for ADHD people on Facebook. Unlike many other groups and discussion forums, they are completely void of condemning know-it-all people stirring up sh*tstorms, the discussions are supportive, caring, understanding, honest, and open. If any overreactions happen, they are dealt with and apologized. We laugh together because we all have been through similar awkward situations and cry together because of the shared experiences like you or your kids being bullied at school. Everyone with similar challenges is welcomed with open arms.
I would love to see every neurodivergent kid find other neurodivergent kids to be friends with and have neurodivergent adults to support them. To tell them they have special powers that - even though they may initially be a source of pain and discomfort and look odd to "normal" people - can be a source of so much good if harnessed correctly. To show them there's a parallel reality of similar people, who have been through similar struggles and who stand with them against the cruelty of petty and shallow neurotypicals. (This is not to say all neurotypicals are petty and shallow - just the petty and shallow ones that bully and exclude!)
You don't mind the muggles when you have the whole world of wizards standing behind you. After all, the muggle world wouldn't be anything without wizards.
If you're still looking for your people, you're warmly welcome to join How to Align Your Ducks - ADHD-friendly Home Organization group on Facebook. It's dedicated to finding ways to leverage our magic powers and avoid our curses especially around the topics of home organization, decluttering, housework, and other types of adulting, but all kinds of ND topics are also welcome.