It was a rocky start – and it is still far from smooth sailing…I’m sorry for those of you who cannot read Afrikaans, but trust me if I say that writing and spelling did not come naturally to me:
I may have been only 5 when I wrote this – but there is no innate talent here. Nothing. And it went sort of downhill from there. My English teacher in high school said that I could do well if only I could spell.
I’ve recently come across an 80-something-year-old Swedish Sailor online, Sven Yrvind. He is diagnosed as dyslexic and wrote three (or more) books, several articles, and blog posts. Because he had something to say.
I’m not dyslexic, but my spelling is not naturally great – I had to teach myself to slow down and concentrate. MS spell checker helped a lot, as will ChatGPT for those who fear a blank page.
What I learnt early on, is that tools can only take you so far, thereafter you need heart and soul. And you need something to say. Which I had. (to be continued)
