Learning Weird Stuff About Yourself

I just thought I'd share a weird story about myself. OOT'ers are welcome to contribute similar things.

A little background first. I've always been one of the smartest people in my age. I learned to read early, learned math really early, and just have a pretty interconnected way of thinking. I've been in highly advanced classes since 1st grade.

Fast foward to now. About to finish high school, still in advanced classes, still near the top of the school, still feel smarter than every other dumb teenager.

But it turns out, I wasn't always like this. In fact, I didn't speak until I was about 3. I would say words, but never complete sentences. Obviously concerned, my parents took me to be examined by a doctor. They thought I was mentally retarded. Not just learning disabled; really mentally retarded. Apparently, the doctor asked to talk to me alone. My parents said he came out about half an hour later, and said "There's nothing wrong with him; he's just shy." Then I started talking, and had actually already taught myself to read, and my parents didn't even know it! I was shocked to learn this. If they hadn't taken me to that doctor, would I have been put in "special" classes? Would I have become just a complete loner who never speaks? It really kind of freaked me out to know that I could have been pretty much the exact opposite person I am now had my parents not taken me to that doctor.

I crapped my pants until I was 13. my parents thought I was retarded too. Turns out, I just liked the way it felt and I had already taught myself to crap in a toilet when I was 4 months old.

[miajag81]

[ QUOTE ]
I crapped my pants until I was 13. my parents thought I was retarded too. Turns out, I just liked the way it felt and I had already taught myself to crap in a toilet when I was 4 months old.

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That's kind of sad. And by sad I mean awesome.

[whiskeytown]

I have found there is a strong history of mental illness and addiction in my family.

I suspected my immediate family, but apparently some grandparents were institutionalized as well back in the day for psychological/bipolar/depression/mania and all that.

That caught me off guard, but made me feel a bit like all my screwed up life wasn't ENTIRELY my fault - we appear to have a genetic tendency towards certain behaviors...family tradition.

Oh, and when I was a baby I was so fat I used to roll before I learned how to crawl, so I understand - and I was reading so well as a 6 year old they let me go to other classes in the 2nd and 3rd grade for certain stuff like math and reading - I never did get to skip the WHOLE grade though. I found out my Mom thought it would stunt my growth and killed the idea - but it was proposed by the School and I never knew it till a couple years ago - LOL

god, I was picked on so much in HS as it was, being a year younger would NOT have helped.

RB

[miajag81]

Kind of along similar lines to the OP:

I stopped growing for a year when I was 5. Kept eating, etc., just no growing at all for a whole year. My parents took me to several doctors because they were afraid I would be a midget or something. I eventually started growing again but had fallen behind others my age and was always very small for my age until I hit my growth spurt in 7th-8th grade.

Also, for a few months when I was 8 or 9 I inexplicably starting interchanging W's and R's, Elmer Fudd-style. My parents kept asking me if I had hit my head or something, and I was terrified that I had a brain tumor or was retarded. One day I just returned to saying W's and R's normally again.

[mason55]

You probably just saved >50% of OOT from having to tell their stories.

[daryn]

once when i was too young to remember, i accidentally stepped on a cake my mother had made for a family function.

[vulturesrow]

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once when i was too young to remember, i accidentally stepped on a cake my mother had made for a family function.

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I pooped under the Christmas tree.

[miajag81]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
once when i was too young to remember, i accidentally stepped on a cake my mother had made for a family function.

[/ QUOTE ]

I pooped under the Christmas tree.

[/ QUOTE ]

I peed in the fireplace once in front of a bunch of my parents' friends.

[StacysMom]

OP: I do not believe you tought yourself to read.