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Dragon4Anarchy · 10-20-2008 01:34 PM

I was never a person to listen to rules or take coercion well, and I suffered for years being sent to school where I neither liked the material the staff or the students. When I defied and made it clear I simply did not want to be there, they first tried to say I was stupid and gave me a study helper to follow me around, the only other student with such treatment in the shool was mentally retarded. One school violently forced me to the floor at any show of anger and pinned me down, but that was a rough neighborhood where I was put in a remedial class at a high schoo at 10 years old. I was also diagnosed with ODD, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, and a court order wa smade that for me to attend school I had to be medicated with Ritalin. The drug messed with my nervous system, I had a sporadic sleep cycle and appetite, I was jittering and twitchy, and generally miserable. So when I told my parents this and we went to teh doctor, I was put on half the dose, no effect whatsover on either my behavior or my health, so my parents decided to stop making me take it, I was 13 by this time and had the consciousness to refuse. We never told the school I was off the drug. I managed to make at least a few of my teachers understand Isimply was not going to do as they said when they said, my math and french teachers made no qualms about me sitting and reading my own books or doodling in class, though Ifelt like answering a question or doing a test every now and then. I passed one french test, what I learned of it I learned from comics I could not find in english.

At one point, when I was 14, the class was being held in the classroom at recess, a sort of group punishment for the actions of a few. I refused and proceeded to the door to take my break, the teacher blcoked my path. I tried to sidle past her and she literally grabbed me and tried to push me back. I ducked under her arma nd she grabbed at me as I was leaving the doorway and I shoved out of her grasp. She said it was assault and they expelled me. The juvinile system wanted to put me for a year long evaluation in their rehab center, a juvenile jail, for a period of one year because I was no longer in school. Me my parents and our lawyers fought for a year in court and I got to stay home under the condition that I attend tutoring at the same school that had expelled me. I attended the tutoring for one year until Iturned 16 (the legal age for dropping out) I of course dropped teh school immediately and pursued my bown things. In the first six months of the school year in which I was tutored part time, after the court was done with and I felt secure in my freedom, I wrote my first novel, 300 pages in a matter of 6 months, and worked my first job, was seasonal work with my dad but it was a job. Since then I have continued to write and improve my literature, I have made 3 unsuccessful attempts at publishing and have only just begun, but consider myself at a level to publish.

I will not conform, I will do things my way.

I am a free thinking man with an unsytemized mind.

I am a high school drop out and I am proud.

Heavy Lids · 10-20-2008 01:54 PM

Don't worry about not getting published. Some great writers have their work rejected numerous times and perhaps never seeing the fruits of their work because we often glorify the dead.

The system is unfortunately punishing to those who don't want to fit in, but I think with effort, it can be changed.

Also psychotic drugs are ... psychotic. Avoid them.

Dragon4Anarchy · 10-20-2008 02:02 PM

Heavy Lids Wrote:Don't worry about not getting published. Some great writers have their work rejected numerous times and perhaps never seeing the fruits of their work because we often glorify the dead.

The system is unfortunately punishing to those who don't want to fit in, but I think with effort, it can be changed.

Also psychotic drugs are ... psychotic. Avoid them.

Thank you I have no doubt that I will publish, and I would certainly never have touched the drug had they not forced my parents to medicate me with it who in turn forced me to swallow the pills even when they themselves didn't agree with it.

i-am-the-liquor · 10-20-2008 02:11 PM

fuck taking pills, self medicate like me...just not to my extent, or else your liver will kill you in the near future...

Avenger · 10-21-2008 01:44 AM

that was bullshit,just keep trying on the publishing.what are the novels about?
i was almost put on some type of pills in 3rd grade not for sure what they were,or what disorder i supposevlly had.but my mom told them no she wouldn't put me on drugs.i think i know the reason why.because i have looked up the symptoms to OCD,ADHD,and bipolar 2.and well i fit all the diagnosis criteria for those disorders.

**SoulRiser** · 10-21-2008 02:56 AM

You're lucky you had supportive parents actually willing to fight on your behalf in court... not a lot would seem to be willing to do that.

Also, 'bout the publishing... you could always make your own website and put your writing up there for free, but make the site ad-supported. Then if you do get a publisher deal, they'll probably want you to take the site down. I know of one person who had her book published, but kept the entire thing online for free as well, and did really well that way. The site was like free publicity for the book.

Kaylingrl_1 · 11-05-2008 09:48 AM

It's amazing that you had the will to resist through all that. Your parents sound great.

The whole publishing thing? Keep it up! I'm sure that you'll go far, if that's what you really want, which it sounds like it is. I love to write and am planning on a career as a novelist, too, and it's so frustrating that I have to waste my time in pointless classes that I will probably never need. I think dropping out like you did would definitely be more helpful than staying in class, 'cause no matter how many people say that writing can be taught, you can't teach more than the technical aspects of it. And I bet your unsystemized mind is a lot more interesting than a lot of the minds out there! I hope you get published soon!

shawkhanty · 11-06-2008 10:29 PM

what the hell school like that.

assaultmedic · 11-09-2008 06:31 PM

what the fuck is ODD?

probably some fake disorder used on kids that *gasp* can think for themselves

random_name · 11-09-2008 11:56 PM

i dont kow if anyone else likes harry potter, or considers t a good book even, but j.k. rowling was rejected 15 times by all different publishers before her book was accepted at bloomsbury.

The man · 05-19-2017 09:13 AM

What're your novels about and what're their titles?

James Comey · 05-19-2017 10:49 AM

OP last logged on in 2009, nearly 10 years ago.

Depression101 · 05-19-2017 11:25 AM

Fuck that shit, we could have made this post before the site was invented for all I care. This man is a bloody hero and to be treated as such. The system really fucked him up, man, it really did, but he fought it.

"What has a man? If he hasn't himself, then he has naught... And I bit off more than I could chew... And I did it my way!" --My Way, Frank Sinatra.

James Comey · 05-20-2017 05:34 AM

I nearly dropped out myself. If you look at my older threads you'll see about my journey.

Depression101 · 05-20-2017 05:55 AM

Why didn't you?

Gwedin · 05-20-2017 06:57 AM

in hindsight, dropping out was a mistake for me because i didn't take advantage of it properly and go straight into the workforce. instead i sat on my arse being a depressed cunt. it worked out in the end apparently but it was a lot of time wasted. come to think of it, had i stayed in school i'd probably just graduate with NCEA level 3 and proceed to sit on my arse being depressed for a couple of years instead of going to uni or into the workforce or whatever

so no i take that back, i don't think it was a mistake for me to drop out but it was a mistake to not take advantage of it and better myself as a person. if you plan to drop out, make sure you have a plan and most importantly, the will to follow it through.

James Comey · 05-20-2017 07:45 AM

(05-20-2017 05:55 AM)Depression101 Wrote: Why didn't you?

Didn't pass the early graduation test and my parents weren't favorable of it.

I became a senior anyway so senioritis kicked in and I could tolerate it.

Though yeah, the time wasted sucks, although on the bright side Gwedin, being a depressed cunt who sat on his arse all day probably gave you time to introspect, and spiritually build yourself.

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