Every day, I listen to at least 3-4 hours of public radio. Some of this is at home, some is in my car, and most of it is via podcast at work. And while I enjoy just about everything I listen to, it’s rare that I put on my headphones and hear a reporter talking about me.
But that’s exactly how I felt when I listened to the story on a college student with ADD hit a little close to home for me. I was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder when was in high school, and it’s always been a little weird for me to talk about. But listening to the mother of Emily Algire talk about the way Emily’s ADD progressed over time sounds exactly like the way mine did. She never acted out, did her homework and then didn’t turn it in, and couldn’t keep her stuff together. That was totally me. It still kind of is.
ADD is one of those hard things to adequately and sensitively talk about. I’m always bothered when people say things like “I’m so ADD today”, because some of us are ADD every day, and it’s not fun. Yes, sometimes it’s cute (like when you put books in the microwave instead of on the microwave), but it can be completely stressful and disruptive.
If you have ADD, you’ll probably see yourself in Emily, and maybe feel less alone. If you don’t, maybe you’ll score some empathy points. Regardless, NPR did a great job with the story. Emily, good luck in school – I made it through, and I know you can, too.
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