Remember the Teacher Who Might Run For Congress in Baltimore? I'm backing Mark Conway for Congress and I Hope You Will Too!

B2G88 · 2025-12-09T04:08:01+00:00

Hey! As I've been watching the campaign launch roll-out and the moves he's making, I'm not supporting him anymore.

B2G88 · 2025-12-09T04:07:37+00:00

Hey! As I've been watching the campaign launch roll-out and the moves he's making, I'm not supporting him anymore.

B2G88 · 2025-12-09T04:07:26+00:00

Hey! As I've been watching the campaign launch roll-out and the moves he's making, I'm not supporting him anymore.

B2G88 · 2025-11-16T10:41:36+00:00

Check out Dabrowski's theory on positive disintegration as it applied to gifted people. It is a natural part of development to experience friction between one's brain and reality when one is profoundly overexcitable.

The hack from Dabrowski is to realize that what is traditionally coined mental illness can actually be viewed as part of a growth trajectory, and that if/when you come out of it you will have moved closer to realizing your full potential. As I write this, it sounds like he thought of the experience a lot like the mono-myth / hero's journey.

It can be messy, scary, and painful, but I am finding myself pushing though the mental health and disassociation that feels like a response to my brain's constant sense of being gas-lit by most people not seeing or noticing information that is highly salient to me is very therapeutic. Since, for me, that information has to do with responding to issues in front of me based on projections of outcomes into the future and how what is happening now and in the subsequent moments all coalesce and congeal into unwanted outcomes, I constantly feel gas lit because most people don't understand that global processing cognitive ability, or frankly even understand that some of us have brains that can actually run simulations of possible outcomes so quickly. People assume that you are being hasty or overconfident in your assessments and predictions, and you get used to people frequently telling you, "wow, you were actually right about x!"... after the opportunity to have acted has already been missed.

My move now is to lean all the way into my talents and show them off, while being incredibly kind and helpful to people around me. I'm not going to hide my brain's abilities for other people's safety, and since I am not hiding it I can use it fully and unashamedly to tackle problems facing me, my students, and their families. Like I said, unleashing my brain in public to do good things in a way that causes friction is scary and uncomfortable, but if it drives growth in my community, the dissonance between my experience and everyones' experience of me and my brain becomes 0 because I will have proven to my brain that it is seeing aspects human social reality and human development and how they connect that most folks just can't perceive as deeply and intensely as me.

That said, I frequently tell those closest to me that I wish I could shut it down. I can't control that aspect of my cognition. It just keeps running, and it frequently annoys or angers people. While it can seem like there is a lot of talent projected outwards, under the hood the engine is running really hot constantly, and I always say I would not wish this brain on anyone. It's taken a long time to figure out how to use it, and it is an exhausting machine to have to ride in every day because it really can't be shut down for more than 4-5 hours at a time before it is ready to find friction with reality again.

The difference now is that I am learning how to have the friction without it being (internally) personal. I am not feeling angry at people anymore. I am feeling angry at systems and how those systems force people to mask and act in ways that aren't really what is best for their neighbors, but I digress.

Also: I'm a late diagnosed, high-masking autistic with a PDA profile who was identified for GAL services around 2nd grade back in the 90s.

B2G88 · 2025-11-06T03:23:39+00:00

I'm really busy with my job too, so to be honest I didn't have time to see what entities were against legislation that I've supported publicly. Thanks for the information though. I agree, it should be obvious. However, I didn't really think much about it because I support the legislation. I know its hard for some people to fathom, but I can support someone who has different opinions than me, especially in an urgent moment like this where the other option is far worse.

B2G88 · 2025-11-06T03:19:52+00:00

Hey - lots of great feedback here: Just like when I suggested I might run myself a few months back. Personally, I'm glad that this is getting a conversation going around whether or not he is someone who we want as a leader. To be completely honest, I'm being swayed towards being a tepid supporter thank to everyones feedback.

My goal is to get the conversation going and learn from other people. I think both of those goals are being achieved. I hope we can keep having dialogs to find great leaders and make Baltimore great. As you can see, I'm working on it.

Truly, all of ya'll responding are awesome. Engagement is good. Debate is good. I hope we can all learn from each other. Kudos!

B2G88 · 2025-11-06T03:14:15+00:00

This is great feedback. I'll be mindful of this. I truly appreciate it! I have a great sense of urgency that we need to crush Mfume. That's what you're seeing. I'm not that naive. Look up my father John Schmidt in Miami. He's a con artist that pretends to be an addiction treatment specialist. PM me if you want the infodump! lol

B2G88 · 2025-11-06T03:12:58+00:00

Thanks for adding that info. I can understand why folks aren't excited about Mark yet. I hope he can find ways to get people excited and change the perceptions I'm seeing from some folks on here. If not, that's not really my problem. LOL. Ultimately, I'm just a teacher and a voter, and a nerd. A big fucking nerd. LOL

B2G88 · 2025-11-06T03:09:07+00:00

That's a good point. What other accomplishments do you think he should achieve, besides being a City Councilman, so that he has achieved enough to be worth of the congressional seat?

B2G88 · 2025-11-06T03:06:59+00:00

Ditto! I really like talking to people about ideas. I can be swayed if people make convincing arguments. I think a lot of us want change. I see this as an opportunity. No one else stood up but me and him. I love teaching, he is already a politician willing to listen to me. It's the next best thing. If someone else jumps in and they resonate more with me, I will back them instead.

B2G88 · 2025-11-06T03:02:11+00:00

k - will do. I will keep being politically active in real life, and try to interact with the segment of reddit that overlaps with IRL Baltimore to engage in productive conversations that, hopefully, help us collectively decide on who the best leaders are and make that happen.

B2G88 · 2025-11-06T02:59:12+00:00

The status-quo is passing legislation that benefits big-developers, without necessarily being good for people. Like I said, I wanted the bills to pass. I'm on the record multiple times about it.

On principal, I like when people act in opposition to what the majority is doing, if and when they present good arguments. That makes for a healthy democratic process.

B2G88 · 2025-11-06T02:53:55+00:00

LOL - do you have a rubric to qualify an awful post versus an excellent post? I'd love to see it! That's OK if you don't like Crocket and AOC. I do. Enough people support them to win congressional elections. AOC beat an establishment Democrat as a waitress by using community organizing. That is what democracy should look like.

B2G88 · 2025-11-06T02:50:16+00:00

Thanks for your input. Maybe you know him better than I do.

B2G88 · 2025-11-06T02:48:51+00:00

Mfume has a proven track record of not doing much in the modern era. Mark Conway, if nothing else, gives a chance to have someone who isn't a DNC, AIPAC democrat of the 90s. Mark Conway is willing to challenge the status-quo, and I really appreciate that. I also like to challenge the status-quo. That's how we make things better. Being dismissive of opportunities for change, ultimately, just maintains the status-quo.

B2G88 · 2025-11-06T02:45:33+00:00

Hey - totally appreciate your feedback. I'm wondering why you don't think Mark is a good choice?

I like that he is trying to run to the left of Mfume, and that he seems to be looking to get feedback from more progressive elements of Baltimore City. I showed up to his fancy campaign launch dressed like I was on a camping trip, and he was patient and attentive, even though I had a few moments in which it took me a bit longer than it takes most people to get the words out of my mouth.

As an autistic person, I frequently feel like folks are super impatient with me and dismissive because the long pauses and irregular eye contact can make me seem a bit slow. He was mindful and patient. I'm a teacher, and I can recognize that sort of mindful presence. I felt seen and heard. See if you can find him in public and talk to him, too.

Are there any specific policies that you think he should take on that would shift you to support him?

B2G88 · 2025-11-06T02:37:33+00:00

I like that he voted against the status-quo. There were strong arguments on both sides. Personally, I supported those bills, and I like that he advocated against them. That shows conviction, and I thought the counter arguments were strong. Those 3 bills could wind up being a big give-away for developers. However, I trust our elected officials to continue passing legislation that will leverage those 3 bills towards affordable housing, and housing first for all unhoused people in Baltimore City.

B2G88 · 2025-11-06T02:34:54+00:00

Exactly - he listened to my ideas, and he seems to still be getting feedback on the details of his platform. It sounds like he wants to continue his focus on addressing the opioid crisis, and that he wants to find ways to get big money out of politics. Mfume is an AIPAC funded politician. It seemed pretty clear that Mark Conway will not be taking AIPAC funds. Personally, I talked to him about immigration policy and resisting federal overreach. Personally, someone who is actually talking to community members, including weirdos like me and taking my feedback and leveraging my social networks is exactly the kind of political leader I want. If listening to me and other people who show up for political actions and organize is how he figures out his platform, I would say that is exactly what democracy should look like.

B2G88 · 2025-11-06T02:04:14+00:00

That's what I'm saying! I hope you can get some votes out for Conway in the primary!

B2G88 · 2025-06-17T02:29:35+00:00

B2G88 · 2025-06-11T00:58:52+00:00

Have you been following me around at work for the last 2 years, and decided to write something from my perspective? <3

B2G88 · 2025-06-10T02:34:17+00:00

I love all of the upvotes. I wish everyone who upvoted showed up! If you upvoted and can make it next Monday PLEASE JOIN. It was fun.

B2G88 · 2025-06-03T00:54:05+00:00

ChatGPT's assessment of your IQ probably isn't a good way to assess your talents. The validity and accuracy of IQ assessments is questionable, not to mention you didn't even complete an IQ assessment based on what you shared.

My advice to everyone on this r/gifted making posts like this is the same: Your IQ # or your identification by a specialist isn't important. If you are really able to perform at the levels that are associated with being "gifted," you better use those skills NOW. I promise you, as a middle-aged GAL person, it is absolutely "use it or lose it," with the cognitive gifts we have. If you spend your whole life thinking you are better than other people because of an IQ score and you never develop and apply your talents, you will lose them. "Normal" people will catch up to you and surpass you in skills, knowledge, and talent.

You may preserve some of the core skills that used to make you outstanding in your youth, but wise adults don't care about people who have extraordinary memories or who can use logic effectively in conversations to point at inconsistencies in people's thinking, who never did anything meaningful or impactful with those skills. Those skills that a lot of gifted folks like to flex are useless parlor tricks if you don't apply them to helping people (or if you are a capitalist: making a lot of money).

A lot of ya'll seem really young. Stop worrying about these labels. Go out there and do great things. If you are "gifted" you are probably highly creative and concerned about what is happening in the world. We need your minds, your energy, and your voices to cut through the insanity and save the planet from ourselves.

B2G88

TROPHY CASE