I’ve never formally been diagnosed with ADD and never took medication, mainly because it wasn’t diagnosed in those days. Rather, we were known as behavioral problems or, as my 7th grade teacher labelled me, a “villain” and a “leader in badness”. In high school, the basketball coach referred to me as “static in the attic”. These days I’m viewed in El Paso as “eccentric”.

I have to admit I found some relief when I realized I suffered from ADD. It reassured me that I wasn’t some delinquent, doomed to hell. But nonetheless it had its challenges. Impulsive behavior, both verbal and behavioral. Trouble staying focused. Overwhelmed by too much input. And, above all, misplacing things. The classic example here was the morning I was roaring around the house, yelling “Where are my damn glasses?” My daughter looked at me like I had lobsters coming out my ears and said “Dad, you’re wearing your glasses!” So I was.

My granddaughter is in the eighth grade. One of my finer ADD moments occurred during my eighth grade year. I was sitting right in front of Sister’s desk (a space commonly reserved for behavior problems). One morning, bored to tears, I started a pantomime. I threw an imaginary rope to the other student’s desk, secured it, and then with my fingers made the little man begin to walk across. I became aware that the class was very quiet. I looked out the corner of my eye to see Sister staring at me. “What are you doing?” she said. I shrugged my shoulders and said “I’m making the little man walk across the canyon on a tightrope.” She stared a moment, then simply said “Oh”, clearly at a loss as to what to say or do.

ADD has its plus side. We do notice more. We catch details others might miss. We are on the lookout for new opportunities. We crave information. And in the midst of our often cluttered minds are some rich corners with fascinating things.

I did see a book titled ADD as a Gift. I’m not quite prepared to go there but I can see they may have a point.

For your enjoyment, then, is this classic Dick Van Dyke sketch of a man trying to write. Although not labelled as ADD in any way, it illustrates how ADD can be a challenge when I sit down to write. Most of us writers can relate