The Last Open Seat

I’ve always noticed which seat stays open the longest. On planes, in classrooms, at conference tables it’s rarely random. People scan, assess, decide. And more times than I can count, the last open seat is the one next to me. I’ve tried smiling. I’ve tried not smiling. I’ve tried shrinking myself so I don’t look like too much of anything. But the silence of being passed by registers louder than any spoken rejection. It taught me something I never wanted to learn: that invisibility can feel like safety, but it can also feel like exile. Read More

The Dragon at the Sink

Every morning, I face a dragon. Not the storybook kind, but one that waits by the bathroom sink. Its lair is tiled in coldness, the air sharp and uninviting. The sunlight is too loud, the toothpaste always gritty and wrong. Brushing my teeth shouldn’t feel like a battle, but for me, it is. Some days, I draw my sword of ritual, routine, resilience. Other days, I run, ashamed, carrying the weight of another “simple” task left undone. This isn’t laziness. It’s a quiet war waged in the nervous system like a war few can see, but one I fight every day. Read More

Is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria a Symptom of Evolution?

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, or RSD, is often described clinically as an intense emotional response to perceived rejection or criticism. For those of us who experience it, it is far more than a passing sensitivity. It is a full-body emotional collapse that can trigger spiraling self-doubt, shame, panic, and withdrawal. And in the world of neurodivergence, it is often discussed as a side effect…an unfortunate byproduct of neurodivergence that must be managed or medicated. Read More

“I Won’t Go Speechless”: A Neurodivergent Leader’s Reflection on Finding Voice in a Song Meant for Another

I didn’t sit down to be changed by a Disney movie.

The first time I watched the live-action Aladdin, I honestly dismissed the song Speechless. Not because I didn’t understand what it was trying to do because I could see its intent. I could recognize the feminist power behind Jasmine finally being given a voice and agency she never had in the original. But I still dismissed it. And yes, I realize the irony in this. Read More