siedbar

siedbar (n)

1. What happens when nic's spell check doesn't catch a typo.

I hope it goes without saying... siedbar = sidebar. There is a spell check built into Mozilla Firefox that comes in handy when posting comments on other people's blogs. It is even helpful when writing for my own blog (in worst case scenarios, there's even a spell check in Blogger). However, in the application I was using to create the survey, the Firefox spell check didn't work. As for Blogger, the post is nothing more than a bunch of HTML code... nothing to spell check.

Kudos to my father for pointing out the error in my spelling ways.




I mention all this for two reasons. (Well, three if you include my natural bent for self deprecation, and four if you include the fact that I'm short on ideas for blogging.)

First: I am a horrible speller. If you want any inclination of how well I performed in elementary school spelling bees, I provide you "siedbar" as an example. Not to mention, in my attempts to type faster, I type one key prematurely as if one finger is thinking faster than another (ala the e before d in siedbar or the e before h in teh). As bad of a speller as I think I am, I'm always surprised when I see someone who spells worse than me.

Second: I have a minor learning disability called dyspraxia. For the most part, I've learned to cope with it. However, it still effects me in areas of writing. It is to blame for my excessively sloppy handwriting, and my slower than normal writing speed. It also contributes to my knack for poor spelling. While typing, I will invert letters (similar to a dyslexic). But when writing, I leave letters out of words - most frequently off the end. Due to dyspraxia, I tend not to notice, even when rereading, without someone pointing it out to me. (Thanks Dad!) To further complicate things, I also exhibit symptoms similar to dysgraphia. And I'm ADD (hence the random nature of this blog).


All things considered, I find it amazing that I'm able to write with any semblance of legibility. I consider it a miracle that I'm able to organize a cohesive thought, or express myself through writing. Through out elementary school and junior high, I loathed writing (and reading) because of my disabilities. I find a bit of divine irony in overcoming these neurological disorders - where something that should hinder my ability to read and write would ultimately lead me into two of my most passionate hobbies.

I still read slow. And write slow. And I'm not worth my weight in spelling. By these principles, I am living out the message of the demotivational poster I have as my desktop background on my work computer. Under a picture of a penguin waddling up a snowbank, it reads: AMBITION You'll never know have far you can walk until you spread your wings.

Go for it - spread you wings. It's working for me so far.