Dyslexia and Ansel Adams

This week my photography class has been watching a film about Ansel Adams, and they've learned that he was a hyperactive child who suffered from dyslexia. Despite these challenges, through the love and patience of his father, he was able to pursue his passions for music and later photography. His school was a year-long pass to the World's Fair in San Francisco at the age of 12... how many of us would give our 12 year-olds carte blanche to go to the Smithsonian on their own every day for the next year rather than attend school (not to mention what the state of Maryland might say about it). It's a useful reminder that the skills required for academic success are not the only skills required for life success, and that many of the traits that can make school difficult for our kids are indeed great gifts in the wider world... if only we have enough love and patience to weather their adolescence!