Dear twelve-year-old Kit,

Meet Jason.

While in the midst of your ADHD diagnosis, you’ll be hurled into a world where medication is king. With every pill, patch, and cream the doctors give you, your sense of self will become foreign. That’s why using cycling as a way to treat your diagnosis without the meds was so important to you, it gave you the chance to put your hands on the wheel.

While still closeted, your greatest fear will be losing control of the narrative you’ve curated for people all these years. What happens if they don’t like what they see? What will the parents of the kids you’ve worked with think? What will the cycling teammates you’ve shared beds with think? In one fell swoop, you’ll become totally exposed.
That’s where Jason comes in. After meeting in middle school, you’ll watch Jason run in every student council election and even found his own start-up – he famously puts himself in situations where he’s exposed and isn’t afraid to take the risk. No surprise he and his company’s co-founders were named in Forbes 30 under 30.

In 2013, Jason will become the first person you’ve grown up with to actively “come out”. Naturally, his social media account will be inundated with messages of love and support from his tribe – even his ex-girlfriends. Jason’s authenticity has created a life for him where this sort of reaction shouldn’t come as a surprise, people really do love him. When he speaks, people listen. When he leads, people follow. When he reaches out for help, people reach back. And when you eventually confide in him about your truth, he’ll be there for you every step of the way.

He’s going to teach you that if you want control of your narrative, you have write it yourself. There’s always risk of someone not wanting to read into it, but that only leaves more room for someone else to step in and show you the love you deserve. After all, your tribe is capable of navigating through these rainbow tinted waters alongside you, regardless of the rapids or current. And as far as I’m concerned, the only thing you should focus on is if someone helps you float or sink.

More to come,
Twenty-seven-year-old Kit