ATTENTION DISORDER
ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder is a very common diagnosis for young people, particularly young men, today. ADD used to be called daydreaming; it can be a serious learning disability. Are you either ADD, or not ADD? Certainly there must be different levels of this condition.
If you have a severe attention deficit disorder it can and should be treated. I knew a young man who was incorrigible and unable to withstand the simplest social situation, who became a completely different, delightful, polite person when drugs allowed him to focus on his environment.
I also believe children can learn to focus without drugs. Sometimes this disorder can actually allow a person to successfully multitask. I know I am sometimes attention challenged, yet I can watch TV, write a blog, and carry on a conversation with Mrs. C all at the same time (Mrs. C would dispute the conversation part.)
In high school I was able to learn math without paying my undivided attention to the teacher. A2+B2=…Damn Sally Ferguson has a nice ass…C2. If I was on medication I might have missed out on Sally Ferguson’s nice ass, or more than likely my full attention might have been diverted totally away from math.
My oldest brother had an attention disorder completely on the other side of the spectrum. He would be so focused on a book, an article, or just inventing stuff in his head that you could not get his attention.
“Jim…JIM…JIM…JIM…whack him on the head with a wad of paper…JIM.”
“Huh…yea…what?
Surely my brother could have been diagnosed with Attention Over-focus Disorder or AOD. Perhaps he could have been treated with drugs to have a normal attention span, but then we would have missed out on a great mind, and several sonar and radar inventions which make our country safer from attack by our enemies. Sure it would have saved the wadding up of countless pieces of paper, but I believe a unique mind is more than worth a little cajoling to get his attention.
Attention Deficit, or attention overload, when either seriously affects a person’s ability to have a normal life perhaps medication is in order. However we must be careful, especially with young children, to not destroy the uniqueness of a young mind.
Sometimes “disorder” can just mean “different.” If we medicate “different” we may gain another “normal” mind, but lose the next genius who could help solve some of the world’s greatest problems.
Hey…I’m just sayin……damn, Sally did have a nice ass.
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Had lots of kids like both you and your brother in while being a teacher. Everybody learns differently and as you state with so much good humor.....lots would be missing from all of our lives if we were all the same. Because quite frankly most folks are boring and unfocused on anything but themselves. Getting lost in a project, book or subject is the sign of a great mind but then so is getting it the first time you see it and never need to look at it again.
ReplyDeleteThis was really a great observation....and I bet Sally wishes now.
Oma Linda
I agree with a lot of what you say here. The tendency to want others to think as we do seems to have become worse over the years. Otherwise we must have some kind of disorder or another and this or that drug will solve the problem -- instead of which another whole can of worms is opened.
ReplyDeleteI agree...we do seem to have a "one size fits all" mentality. Every person is different. We should be thankful for that, just as we should be thankful for Sally's fine ass. ;)
ReplyDeletemy kids said all their friends have ADD.
ReplyDeleteIt does make you wonder what we're doing with people who are "different."
ReplyDeleteEinstein and Leonardo da Vinci were daydreamers. What if they'd been given medication to make them normal. This, I think, is your point and it's a good one.
Mom always told me I was different..thanks interesting take on disorder.
ReplyDelete