On Late Bloomers & Expectations
“A late bloomer,” my last training supervisor said about me in reference to my recent effort to learn a new subject. I wasn’t sure if he meant it as an insult or a deliberation that there might still be some hope for me. This label was no surprise to me. I have known for some time now that I am a late bloomer in certain areas of my life. I had always been way too mature and considered myself an old soul in other areas.
A late-bloomer: what does that exactly mean?
I recently came across a book titled “Thanks for Waiting: The Joy (& Weirdness) of Being a Late Bloomer,” written by Doree Shafrir. The book got me thinking about what it means to be a late bloomer? Who is considered a late bloomer by the standards of, shall I say, the “early bloomers”?
As a noun, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a late bloomer as someone who becomes successful, attractive, etc., later in life than other people. The Collins English Dictionary defines it as a person who matures, achieves proficiency in some field or skill, etc., later than such a person is typically expected to.
Before calling me a late bloomer, my supervisor lectured me about being sensitive to the needs of my colleagues whom I had called out for their inability to help me understand the new concepts. Yet, he did not recognize my sensitivity when he called me a…
