'Found: Decades Later' by Willow Woo

The confidence I chased my entire life, persisting as a Chinese American girl with Autism, ADHD, CAPD (Central Auditory Processing Disorder), and OCD. It came after years of fiddling with my CAPD and rewiring my brain to listen clearly by deciphering audiobooks—like adjusting a radio dial, through the static. It was carved from a lifetime of do-it-yourself and adapting to a world not meant for me. It solidified after working at a public library with a staff who loathed patrons and ate taxpayer dollars rotting for their pensions. It exploded when I learned to value their presence as my worst life role models, a priceless education. It shone after I earned straight A's in my Library Masters. It was forged when I forced myself to speak despite my impediments, especially for storytime. It crystallized when I shunted embarrassment and didn't care what anyone thought. It cemented when I embraced all my quirks, when I finally welcomed myself fully, and it didn't matter that no one else would.