Crushing Tall PoppiesMission Accomplished
Twelve years ago, I started my gifted advocacy journey. After years of misunderstanding—on my part, the school’s part, and society’s part—I found myself frustrated, confused, fearful, and also angry. How can a school ignore a student who is clearly ahead of his classmates and shows mastery of all content at his current grade level? How can a teacher give busywork to a student who consistently completes his classwork long before every other student? How can a principal tell a parent, “He’s making straight A’s! What more do you want? Let him slide instead of moving him up a grade level.”
As a teacher myself, I trusted my sons’ educators. It was hard to accept not all teachers were competent and addressed every student’s needs; not all teachers understood giftedness. As I learned, most teachers didn’t understand giftedness, including myself. But, once I did understand, my efforts to teach the teachers about giftedness were uncomfortable and sometimes contentious.
Unable to shake the fear that my family, my sons, were alone in our situation, I began a Facebook group for gifted families in my area. Mind you, I knew no one else in the same boat as we were, but it was all I knew to do to find the connections I desperately needed. I had to do something, so I told myself, “If you build it, they will come.” And that was the starting point that led to a gifted advocacy journey I never could have imagined.
I was thrown head-first into giftedworld. My Facebook group led to me founding and organizing a regional gifted association, which led to me starting my blog, Crushing Tall Poppies. My blog led me to the publishing of my book, Educating Your Gifted Child. And nine years of writing led to the acceptance of my own giftedness.
My involvement and volunteer service within the gifted community spanned a decade. I am amazed and gratified that my writing and service to the gifted community made a helpful and supportive impact—that was my only intent. I wanted to pay it forward and ensure no other family had to trudge through the muck of giftedness and gifted education.
In March 2023, I was a guest on the podcast, Positive Disintegration with Dr. Chris Wells and Emma Nicholson. Dr. Chris Wells is a cherished friend, and when she asked me to be a guest on her podcast, my first thought was I had nothing much to offer. I was wrong.
The recording of this episode of the Positive Disintegration podcast resulted in a deep, honest, and vulnerable conversation about the beauty and necessity of connections within the gifted community. Although I considered myself mostly retired from my work in the gifted community, this insightful and inspirational conversation helped me see I had fulfilled my goal of helping others on their gifted journeys. I trudged through the muck, helped others trudge through, and now I was at the end of my gifted advocacy journey. Mission accomplished.
While I no longer write about giftedness, other than this final piece, I have and will maintain Crushing Tall Poppies as long as it is helping others. Yet, there is no escaping giftedness because we all know giftedness does not go away; it’s a lifelong trait.
My next life chapter will be filled with art as I have discovered I have a bit of talent for it. Another little bit of life I fell into. A friend invited me to a free painting class; I naively decided to paint a picture of Felicia, the sweetest, most loving dog and best friend who had recently passed away. I thought I was coming to paint a Christmas craft and unexpectedly found myself painting a dog portrait with oils, a medium I never wanted to try. I still have a few more layers to complete Felicia’s painting.
In my gifted advocacy retirement, I’ll also dabble in photography while playing outside in nature. I’m still learning how to use my new fancy camera, and I tote it around when I hike, kayak, drive through the forest, and boat on the lake we live on. Not to brag, but I won an award for one of my photos. I have a plethora of projects I intend to immerse myself in, so many that I’ll be busy for the next twenty years.
Thank you to all of my readers, followers, and supporters. I love you, and I’m still here for you; simply leave me a message on my Crushing Tall Poppies website, and I’ll respond as always. It might take me a little longer to answer because I’ll be busy with all my new pursuits!
I’m forever grateful for my colleagues, friends, acquaintances, and mentors in the gifted community. What a fantastic group of people.
And so much love and admiration for Dr. Chris Wells and Emma Nicholson for inviting me as a guest on their brilliant and popular Positive Disintegration podcast. You allowed me to see the difference I made in the gifted community and bring my gifted advocacy journey to a bittersweet end.
Love and light on your gifted journey; remember, you are not alone. The caring and generous people of our gifted community are there for you.
All my love and gratitude,
Celi Trepanier
Links
Gifted Connections Episode on Positive Disintegration Podcast
Some well-deserved victory music:
Jeff Beck – Where Were You (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD4Gmwo0E_0)
Moby – My Weakness (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8miMg3xBN2s)
It’s the moment you realise you’ve won, and also what the victory cost you.
I hear ‘where were you’ not as an accusation but like when two veterans realise they fought in the same battle. And I stopped watching The X-Files after ‘Closure’ because they were never going to top that and it was the perfect way to end it.
Aww, thanks so much for the music suggestions. You’ve been a much-appreciated follower. Your feedback and comments provided support and insights for all of us, and I thank you for that! All the best to you! ~Celi
Celi,
You have been an inspiration and guiding light in the gifted community. I treasure your many forthright articles about the reality of giftedness and gifted education. Wishing you much joy as you pursue your latest ventures – and continue to discover your own hidden talents!
Thank you so much, Gail!
I’m so thankful that you were right there all along, inspiring and motivating me to keep pursuing my gifted advocacy. You are a valuable gem in the gifted community!
Thank you for your blog! It helped me to accept myself the way I am years ago and now I am painting and writing and doing many things I was always told was a waste of my time. I am also trying to raise two gifted kids! But they are homeschooled which certainly makes the process easier! One is six years old and has put a tablet and digital camera to the max in data with her pictures. I can’t get her to delete any even though the storage is always full. But I try to love her the way she is! Thanks for all you do!!
Thank you for you kind words! They mean more than you know!
Gifted children have all those unique and fun passions, talents, and quirks–what’s not to love? 🙂
All the best to you on your gifted journey–yours and your children’s! ~Celi
Hi Celi! I was wondering what you were up to. I haven’t been seeing your nature posts lately on IG. Your future projects sound so exciting. Good for you for following your heart. I have found it so important to let the evolutions happen. I’m still in the gifted field but still on the fringes of gifted ed and more finding those rainforest-minded adults around the world. It is still exciting and you may know I have a new book coming soon. I hope we can stay in touch. I’ll go listen to the podcast! Much love to you!
Thank you, Paula, for your sweet words, and congratulations on your new book! I’m still posting on Instagram–all nature photos. Yes, let’s keep in touch <3 ~Celi
Does the Facebook group still exist and are there many groups in this that are broken up into different local areas for people to get together?
The public Crushing Tall Poppies Facebook page is there, but it’s just a public page, not a group. There are many public and private Facebook groups for gifted parents, gifted teens, gifted education, gifted homeschooling, and gifted adults. You would have to join and ask within those groups if there are local get-togethers. You can also try MeetUps for gifted groups.
your mission hasn’t ended because you’re still alive. I thought the same about mine, which aligns well with yours. my children are grown, i’ve given up on reforming public schools and even most private ones. But there seem to be more people coming along who need to be convinced that, far from being mentally ill, they are so far removed from the norm that the majority of people will never get the. And they have children, and so ad infinitum.
I no longer have the obsessive focus, nor do you, and that’s okay. The mission never ends.
I love it! “The mission never ends.” Thank you for those wise, wise words!
Celi, first of all, congratulations on your retirement and exploration of new and exciting possibilities. I knew years ago when I met you that your passion would be sparked to do great things for gifted kids and adults. It’s been my pleasure to watch your fire burn! Well done, and welcome to the realm of the GOGGs (the Good Old Gifted Gals/Guys)!
Thank you, Jackie! Love being a part of the GOGGs!
Congratulations on your newest journeys! Years ago I saw a very special spark in you and have watched it blaze into a magnificent passion. Thank you for all you’ve done for our community of learners. Enjoy being one of the GOGGs (Good Old Gifted Gals/Guys). Your fan, Jackie Drummer, Past President of the WIsconsin Association for Talented and Gifted.
Thank you so much, Jackie! <3