A Splintered Mind

It’s hard to imagine, but your iPhone can be used for more than tweeting, texting, and playing games. Crazy, right⸮ [1] How many times have you driven out to do errands and forgotten to do something? It might be getting strawberries at the grocer while they are in season, or maybe you forgot to drop off those library books knocking around the back of your car, or you’re tired of remembering to fill your car tires long after you’ve passed that station with the free air pump. My neglected errand was that I kept forgetting to update the insurance cards in my car. First I lost the insurance cards, then I kept leaving them at home. When I finally got them into the car, weeks went by without me actually pulling the cards out of the envelop and sticking them someplace safer. The problem was that I was always running in and out of the car on my way to someplace else. It wasn’t until I made a specific reminder that I finally took care of this errand. Unlocking You...

It’s a good thing my friend isn’t easily offended. Today my ADHD took our conversation on a colorful roadtrip. I will spare you the details, but I made a gaffe today that involved flagpoles, fidget spinners, and ED. If I was headlining in Vegas, I would certainly have outdone myself for sheer, bold, cheeky humor—celebrated by the audience’s raucous laughter—but since I’m some average rando calling a friend on the phone, I got the following: “Am I the only person you have conversations like this with?” “Yes,” I said while laughing. “You are the only person I can openly talk to this way.” “Let’s remove one person from that equation, and I think we can solve your problem.” I don’t know if I got the quote right. We were both laughing. It is common for us to zing each other. However, part of my refined, adult mind started working on what he had said. I suddenly realized that I had stepped over a line. “Well, I may have been excessively colorful.” “Oh, you think?” he said while...

If you’re willing to do the work, your ADHD will come out of the oven like a batch of perfect cupcakes? I have to agree with you. Comparing ADHD to cupcakes isn’t the best simile. What could I possibly mean? Am I saying that ADHD is covered in sickly, sweet frosting and helps you put on weight? Coping strategies for ADHD are most efficacious when baked at 325ºF? ADHD is best dealt with by spreading it thinly with a knife while gently twirling? If only dealing with ADHD was so tasty!

2018 was a good year for me. Thank you all for reading my articles, sharing them with friends, and supporting me over the years. This blog, A Splintered Mind, has been tackling ADHD and depression with attitude and humor online for fourteen years now. It is the longest project, aside from parenthood, of which I have remained consistently engaged. In the past year, I have been spotlighted in Esperanza magazine , had blogs published at ADDitudeMag.com , had an article published in ADDitude Magazine’s Fall issue , and was selected to participate in a blogger advisory panel. 2018 was busy, but it all came together in the Fall. The event that took the most effort was the blogger advisory panel—even more effort than trying to get a decent portrait for Esperanza magazine that didn’t make me look like a doofus. That project involved all of my smiling daughters giving me encouragement on a bright summer day. I felt so awkward doing a photoshoot in a public park, as if I’m a lo...