My confession on national coming out day...

It's national coming out day...I support gay and transgendered people even though I'm straight. My coming out comes in the form of confessing that I have NLD. NLD is nonverbal learning disorder, this is a condition which is actually on the autistic spectrum. My whole life I have been viewed as odd or strange or out of the norm. My whole life I was ridiculed for my quirks, I am lucky enough to have found a wife who appreciates me for who I am. If you ever noticed that I was quirky, odd, strange, or downright flakey there's a reason for it. Many people haven't had the patience for my quirks but It's liberating to know that it's not entirely my fault. I try to use it as a motivating factor to try to succeed and exceed expectations. The symptoms of NLD include but are not limited to:

• Great vocabulary and verbal expression 
• Excellent memory skills 
• Attention to detail, but misses the big picture 
• Trouble understanding reading 
• Difficulty with math, especially word problems 
• Poor abstract reasoning 
• Physically awkward; poor coordination 
• Messy and laborious handwriting 
• Concrete thinking; taking things very literally 
• Trouble with nonverbal communication, like body language, facial expression and tone of voice 
• Poor social skills; difficulty making and keeping friends 
• Fear of new situations 
• Trouble adjusting to changes 
• May be very naïve and lack common sense 
• Anxiety, depression, low self-esteem

If you think you don't fit in or no one understands you, it may not be your fault, don't feel discouraged.