4-year-old Anala Beevers Accepted into MENSA with IQ of 145

[Hekate]

31. The nicest thing about Mensa is being in a group where you are "normal" at least part-time

I hope Anala's school believes in placing their children by ability, and challenging them accordingly. A peer group of sorts provides social nourishment, comfort that you are not a freak (especially after this very public announcement), and understanding that talent is spread about among others; that being really smart is a great gift that allows you to see the world differently, but that it is not the only gift there is.

Regarding the negative and ignorant comments here from people who kinda sorta passed through the organization:

Most of my life's best friends, including my husband, came from the local Mensa group. I've never traveled to Regional Gatherings, but some have done so year after year with great enjoyment. We're in a small regional group and don't have as much variety to offer as, for instance, gigantic Los Angeles to the south of us -- but when I came here 35 years ago I was in a strange place, newly divorced, and knew no one outside my job as a secretary. I needed to make friends among people who didn't think my point of view was that skewed, and where I didn't have to monitor every comment that came out of my mouth. Some discussions can get quite lively, political opinion runs the gamut, and we have certainly had our share of oddballs. Curiosity, tolerance, kindness, a broad range of interests -- those are the characteristics of my friends. But no one, not one person in my 50 years of membership, has talked about IQ as a personal trait.