And the Award Goes To...
The Lab School of Washington DC Alumna Gala
On November 14th, 2019 I was awarded the Alumna of the year award from the Lab School of Washington. It was wonderful to see the amazing teachers who are still there 15 years later. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to the current students along with the parents, faculty, and supporters of LSW at the 35th annual Gala.
Here is the speech I gave:
I wish I could tell you that this speech flowed from my fingers to the page with ease. That over the past 20 years since I started at Lab School as a 7th grader in the fall of 1998, that I grew into the effortlessly eloquent, not dyslexic adult that teenager Maren dreamt of becoming. That adult wouldn't be plagued by self-doubt and anxiety anytime a writing or reading exercise was necessary. I too wish that I could boast that I delivered my draft of this speech to the Lab Gala folks on time, and with perfect grammar and punctuation...But if I told you any of that I'd be full of shit.
The first draft of this speech was turned in three days late. A full therapy session dedicated to 'what do I want to say?', why can't I get myself to stop procrastinating? I'm a produced playwright, I’ve had my work shared in industry publications, so why do I still believe that I'm stupid and incapable of being good at this stuff?
It's the same reason that my 70-year-old mother, a celebrated nurse with over thirty-five years of experience still gets nauseous over her daily clinical notes. It's the reason the love of my life, my dysgraphic husband, who has auditory processing disorder spends HOURS avoiding his recording studio even when there is artistically exciting, time-sensitive work to be done.
It’s because we have learning differences.
One could also ask why have I been able to make a living as an artist on three different continents. Why was I able to start a business that just earned the Better Business Bureau Torch Award with no formal business education? Why was I just named the co-artistic director of what will be the sexiest, a politically progressive theater company in Chicago? It's all for the same reason. It's because I have a learning difference.
True, sometimes I get excited for my order of curry fries only to receive a heaping pile of curly fries? Much to my husband's amusement. I absolutely have had to hire staff to write and read e-mails for me, because I'll be judged as unprofessional for sending an e-mail full of spelling errors. You see, spell check is a great tool if you can read the difference between the words.
My learning differences required me to learn how to learn. People like me, my husband, my mother, assume that systems are not set up for folks like us. LD people have more practice than most at taking a system apart, learning what they can of it, find the weak points, be it the systems or their own, build a workaround and then figure out how to communicate it to others. The American education system has required this of us since primary school.
Lab School was a place, despite all the grief I gave them, and yes, I did write my senior thesis on why specialty schools shouldn't exist - ever the renegade. Lab School was a place that gave me room to become my 'adorably awkward' self, develop my 'bumbling approachability' and 'my charming directness' ... I think when you are an adult you get to call that your personal brand. I had teachers like Shaun Miskell, who I will now cause great misery to by asking him to stand, screw it will ALL the Lab School staff please stand. Please give them a round of applause. Teachers like Shaun, with their unending patience, humor, and craft, carved a space for weird, mouthy, students like me to have a refuge. Teaching is truly one of the noblest callings and I'm very thankful that students like me have teachers, specialists and support staff like these to help us find our way.
I know that many of you are here because of your children, someone you know, or you personally have learning differences. It's probably scary, exhausting, and more than a little frustrating at times. But I'm sure this person, or you, are also one of the most gifted, funny, talented, and inspirational people others or you have ever met.
And, in 20 years, all those things will likely still be true. Your friends and family, children, students, and, or you, are the future innovators and leaders of our country. My walk-up music was by a four-time Grammy award-winning dyslexic musician, this dress is by a fashion designer with learning differences. It’s important we are supporting businesses and individuals with learning differences and we celebrate and normalize their success. To any of you with learning differences, and I say this to myself as well, so that all of you can hold me accountable. There is nothing, NOTHING wrong with you! Fuck anyone who told you otherwise, I feel confident it was no one in this room. Look around, these are your peers and allies. And you are perfect just the way you are. Now go cause some trouble and change the world.