POSTSCRIPT

Look again at the painting labeled. Note that this work of art isn’t simply a portrait of the pain and isolation felt by one artist suffering from dyslexia. It embraces all of us. We’ve all had fingers pointed and names hurled at us.

What metaphorical fingers point at you? Are some of those fingers your own? What names go with them? How do these shape the ways in which you communicate with others and make choices in your relationships?

This chapter began with a self-portrait of suffering—an artist stigmatized in youth by labels. But we can all draw inspiration from Eric Staib’s story. Each of us possesses the uniquely human capacity to turn our personal punishments into profound gifts, just as Eric did.