Bloomers Gifted and 2e Adults: How It Came to Be

By Dr. Patty Gently on December 20, 2024

an AI image created from the blog post contents

Bright Insight Support Network founder and president Dr. Patricia Gently is a trauma therapist and coach who specializes in EMDR and works with gifted neurodivergent and other marginalized populations. She is an experienced author, educator, and presenter who promotes integrated inclusivity, a holistic understanding of neurodiversity, and information integrity.

Bloomers Gifted and 2e Adults: How It Came to Be

In the Bloomers: Gifted & 2e Adults group, we often post “Monday Musings" where we ask a clever question to get the community talking. Recently, I posed the question: why are we called Bloomers? The responses were as varied as they were delightful, ranging from an appreciation for fried onions to others referencing poofy undergarments. One lovely patron said we were “blooming incredible." I got the biggest chuckle when a friend suggested we were an algae cult.

Would you like to know the actual origin story though?

During the pandemic, all Bright Insight Table Talks (BITTs) transitioned to Zoom. Around the same time, I was laid up recovering from Tarlov cyst surgery. To make the most of that period, I offered a free series on trauma and giftedness alongside the BITTs. As our online community grew, so did the awareness of a greater need for connection. Every time we gathered, people asked for more spaces to engage.

“Can we meet weekly?”

“Can we have a chat room?”

“Could we create a 24-hour third space?”

I was overwhelmed. Being just one person and prioritizing safety and liability, I encouraged others to step into independent community-building roles. Then, at the end of one BITT, someone suggested creating a Facebook group. Now, that felt doable! What would we call it though? We tossed ideas around until someone suggested “Bloomers." It wasn’t about undergarments, though the pun was appreciated by our populace. Instead, the name connected “Bloomers" to “Boomers," while evoking the image of the tall poppy--a metaphor often used for gifted children who stand out in society.

And as those little poppies need support to grow, we, gifted adults navigating a complex world, also need spaces to be curious and cultivated--to bloom and continue becoming.

Since that moment, “Bloomers” has carried even more meaning for me. I’ve connected it to Bloom’s Taxonomy, which references the layered and dynamic growth of learning and understanding. Bloom’s Taxonomy outlines a hierarchy of cognitive skills: from remembering and understanding foundational concepts to applying, analyzing, evaluating, and ultimately creating new knowledge. In this framework, growth is not linear--It’s expansive--allowing for deeper exploration and integration at each level.

In our community, this symbolism reminds us to maybe push beyond basic understanding and continually strive for sophisticated levels of thought and action (insert tall poppy imagery here). Whether we are reflecting on our personal journeys, engaging in meaningful discussions, or creating innovative solutions to the challenges we face, “Bloomers” encapsulates the process of extending our growth towards integrity-laden value alignment.

That’s how “Bloomers" came to be: a space for all of us to blossom together.