Where are they now

I learned to "read" very early. When we hit the road as a family when I was 5 after not knowing my Mom and Dad except for the every 6 weeks for 2 days visit, I was terrified that I would miss the ride, be left in some strange place etc. so I would ask my parents to tell me what the road signs said. Soon, I knew that we went to Batavia to Rochester to Auburn to Syracuse etc to get to New York City, Albany, Boston etc. My view of the signs was often what was essential so the signs probably read in my mind Rochstr, Abrn, Srcus etc. I could "know" were I was by a few letters. My family and family friends would say, what a smart little girl....then I started school and I wanted to continue to "read" my way and there were words that looked like other words and I didn't know the difference. I was in my twenties when they found that I was severely dyslectic and could not spell or read well. Even in math, which I could excel when it was oral, I would right 6/9 when I knew it was 9/6. One of the little boys in my class called me donny until the third grade since I wrote donny and not bonny on a note to him. Year after year, I was always marked down for my school work, there were big circles around many words on a page and SP (spelling error) in red next to the circle. My IQ tests were questioned since I was not that smart in the classroom. Like all good things, it came to an end with an editor, spell check, good clerical support and my self confidence. Hence, when I reread my blog.. I see the same errors and words interchanged, but I don't care since I write for me. On Monday, I took a test to work for the census. It was like many civil service tests, a question or task with multiple choice answers. Others taking the test had misread the instructions, not completed their forms correctly, or were test phobic. You only needed 10 our of 28 to pass. No wonder the census had so many errors. Two women tried to hand their papers in about 20 min into the test. I was still pushing my pencil on a math problem. I was rather shocked as to how fast they were and amazed at how slow I had become. 28 problems with many requiring addition of multiple numbers or putting things in order then answering the questions... mmm When the test was completed in 30 min. the proctor corrected the tests and then called up each of us. The two women got up and left immediately and the proctor said, you can always retake the test. They answered, I don't think so. I then knew that they had given up rather than try. The next was given a sample quiz and told to go home and try to take it at home before she tried again and the others were told they could retake it to get a higher score. Finally he called my name, Bonita and again asked if I spoke Spanish.. I decided not to tell him I was named for the fish. He gave a great smile and showed me my score, 28 with A after it. We don't get too many of these he said... perfect score. I have always been in the top of the civil service tests, but I never knew the score... I walked out of the City Hall Chambers to an empty hall.. and wondered, where were my classmates now... and when I got outside, i called Georgette and Georgiana....and said YES~