This photo icon has been in my Facebook news feed several times in recent days. I have to say it’s starting to make me angry. Frankly, it offends me. A number of my Facebook friends, fans, and colleagues have joined in sharing this message from the Facebook page of Grammarly.Grammarly is a fee based website where you can upload written work and it will do a complete grammar and spelling check for you. It’s obviously a very useful site to many people. Grammarly also has a very large presence on Facebook. Their page is approaching 2.2 million likes. This post alone is approaching 130,000 likes and 43,000 shares as I write this blog.Clearly the post is intended to express humor. So why I’m I offended? Because for much of my life I have been judged by others based solely upon my spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. I have had my intelligence judged, my ability to get into and perform in institutions of higher education, and my leadership ability judged. I have been bullied as well. It’s what I call academic bullying. I was denied multiple scholarships based solely upon these criteria. This same criteria was used to deny me employment opportunities as well. You see I’m a dyslexic. I know what it feels like to be judged from this perspective. It’s not fun  or funny. It is just plain mean. Because you excel in a specific area doesn’t mean others do or even need to. We all have our strengths and weaknesses.

I know that some of your reading this post have already made note of the my spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure errors in this blog post. You have judged me. It’s called discrimination. So no I don’t see the humor in being judged by this one criteria.

The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity states that 1 in 5 people are dyslexic. That’s a lot of students, and adults who struggle in an area you might be good in. Should we be judging people in this way, or making fun of them?

Grammarly sells itself as a place to go to get help with spelling, grammar, and sentence structure. Who wants to get help from the very same people who will judge you and make fun of you for the very thing you need assistance in? Shame of you Grammarly. By the way is grammarly a real word? Let me spell check that one.

For the record, in spite of my difficulties with spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure I have been and continue to be successful. I have my undergraduate degree, two advanced degrees, earned a commission as an officer in the US Army, and have been successful in both private and non-profit businesses, as well as being an entrepreneur.

I’ve recently written an Amazon.com bestselling book, “Who’s in Charge of Bob?” Where I teach students to focus on their natural talents, not deficit remediation, and how to manage their weaknesses, while maintaining a positive attitude.

Success doesn’t depend on good spelling, grammar, or sentence structure, though it’s a great skill to have. Success is about knowing your true talents and strengths. Success is about managing the things you’re not any good at, and creating and maintaining a positive attitude in the face of struggles and set backs. Don’t let others judge you by what their good at. You be your own judge based on what you’re good at.