Just a brief break from book writing to mark this amazing date. Ten years online. I still can't believe it. Thank you for all of your support.
I originally began this blog because a neighbor told me that ADHD didn't exist. She was a school teacher, and she felt that ADHD was just an excuse parents used to get kids out of doing homework. I was more mad at myself than her, however. I stood there gobsmacked instead of helping her understand how wrong she was. I was still ashamed then to tell people about my ADHD, but I was more ashamed of myself for not standing up to her misconceptions. I decided to start this blog to force myself to not be afraid of talking about my ADHD & Depression anymore. I also figured this blog would help me learn to be a writer, and maybe connect me with a community of people with similar issues. The blog has been a success on all three accounts. Not only am I no longer stigmatized by my ADHD or Depression, but I've vastly improved my writing skills, and met some cool people online as well.
So what's next? If you told me ten years ago I would be winding down work today on a book about overcoming suicidality, I would have said, "Are you sure I'm not just distracted?" I haven't forgotten my dream to write middle grade fiction, but divorce sidetracked me. I was no longer in the happy place I liked to be in when I wrote fiction. I suppose this project is a distraction in a way, but as far as detours go it has proven to be vital. This book has taken me a year and a half to pull together on this unexpected journey. So much research. So many rewrites. So much disorganization. But I persevered and stayed on task. For a guy who's been worried that the book will begin as a self-help book on overcoming suicide and end as a detective thriller in space, I've learned work habits & job skills now that will benefit any type of writing I choose to do going forward.
Slowing down my blogging to three posts a month was probably the wisest thing I did. I'll commit to continuing that pace throughout the new year (though I missed a post in December due to a mild case of the plague), and I look forward to connecting with you in the comments section on each post.
Do you have a favorite post? Do you have a favorite memory of a conversation we've had over the past ten years? Leave it below for others to enjoy along with you. Thanks for reading.
~Dˢ
