Hiding in plain Sight: Dyspraxia and the unseen issue...

There is a lot that is irritating in the world, late trains, stupid people, half warm cups of tea and making the bloody bed. However anyone with even the slightest hint of a disability would note a few obvious advantages:

1. Empathy for others.

2. An acceptance that everyone is definitely different.

3. A resilience that Non-ners have not quite got.

4. An ability to laugh at yourself.

Probably my biggest asset is having the ability to laugh at myself. In Sydney I learnt that there are other people about who love the banter of being insulted, it is a very healthy thing to do. Getting out all of your frustrations through laughter, surely is a good thing? The people that we Dyspraxics struggle with are those who take themselves too seriously. Please, please, please stop life is far to short to be going about in a tie and sweaty suit every silly day of the year.

Empathy and resilience are also useful tools to deal from everything from a woman rejecting you with overly harsh rhetoric to understanding why your Mum might needs moments of the day to herself. There is an often wide ranging debate as to whether you can be taught empathy or whether it is just innate. It is innate but then again you can read self help books that will help you improve this particular skill.

Resilience should be instilled in everyone from nappy age onwards , it will help you get back up when you literally fall over in front of ten year old enemies and friends. It will help you deal with the constant daily embarrassments of getting covered in beach sand on Saye, Alderney or having your trousers round your ankles in an important job interview.

Fundamentally, big Posh word, resilience is learnt from trying and trying again. I am yet to meet someone who has had a challenge in life who doesn't relish the fight. Before I was even a week old I was put into an incubator. I'm absolutely sure this is what gave me the ability to fight and the stubbornness of being overly independent.

There is an unseen issue though and that is the issue of Dyspraxia been unseen. Most normal people don't appreciate why we refuse to dance at parties, why we get so shaky around suitable strong woman or why we get so tired. The thing to contemplate here is that most people are so wrapped up in their own world, that they themselves haven't got the time or more likely energy to empathise fully with us.

This is why I like to have a consistent group of friends who have been put through the personal boot camp of how to deal with Dyspraxics. This is why I struggle with my home town of Guildford because it is all about money, status and looking good. I could never and will never give a stuff about any of those things.

This is probably why I consider Alderney home, there is no judgement on the island just a charming ability to accept. Alderney never laughs or frowns when I take an age to pack up shopping or set jumpers alight during the torchlight procession. Alderney doesn't have the time to judge and neither should anyone reading this.

So there you have it, the unseen problem should be less of a problem once you have all read this. Thank you for being patient.