The Art of the Geek Ninja

Here's the deal: not everyone cares about the things we love. They won't be counting down the hours until the next Star Wars movie, they don't cover their bodies, their homes, their cars, and their lives with references, and they won't necessarily want to hear about the book you were reading last night. Even if it was really good, and... No. Some people, incredible as it may seem, just don't care about that stuff.

It's sad for them, but take heart! You have recourse! You can begin your training in the stealth arts of the geek. No murder required!

The art of the geek ninja sometimes requires patience. Laying in wait for the perfect outfit that you can wear to work but more importantly is actually a perfect feminine version of your latest cosplay.

It sometimes requires bravery. That oil painting might look abstract to the casual observer, but you know it's actually an exploding time machine, painted by a mad-man.

And sometimes it requires just the right moment...

When I was married, my now husband and I knew we wanted to make the wedding our own, wanted it to reflect who we truly are. And who we truly are is a couple of geeks. The shirt I made for him to wear is part of a cosplay, my dress was a medieval pattern, he cut the cake with a lightsaber, there was a Pokemon reference in our vows, but my favourite stealth geek part of our wedding was the most subtle of all.

As our guests assembled in the church, a musically-inclined cousin played the piano. We'd given him a stately, slow piece that sounded perfect for entering a church for a wedding. Or, you know, entering a temple devoted to time in order to go back and save your kingdom from the darkness you can only fight as a child.

Every piece of music was from a game both of us had played. At the reception our gaming friends ran up to us, demanding to know where they’d heard those pieces before. And I'm certain all the non-gamers had no clue what they had been hearing.

Now, go forth, and spread your love of all things geek upon the world. But do it... Stealthily.

The Squirrel Effect

One of the lesser known symptoms of ADHD is that of interest. Or rather it's known by other terms. Ever see a dog be completely engrossed in something, like say a treat, then the very next second it's off after a squirrel? That's the big joke among ADHD individuals. We’re constantly off after squirrels.

It's not that whatever topic came before the ‘squirrel’ isn't interesting or important, it probably was, it's just that our brains are wired to respond to the newest interesting thing. It's one of the reasons many people are forming the theory ‘ADHD’ as we know it today may have developed as an evolutionary result of hunting. Because let's face it, we are terrible gatherers.

Like so many things, this symptom has two sides. A lot has been said and written about the impairments caused by ADHD and those people aren't wrong. There is another side, however, that often goes overlooked.

If something really new and interesting comes across our desk, an ADHD person can put in an incredible amount of time and effort and get the project done really well. This is why it's important to harness the power of the squirrel effect.

For a long time after I realized that the new and interesting took priority in my brain, often at the expense of other things, I avoided leaping on anything right away. I forced myself to only work on the next thing on my to do list.

The problem with this is it's once again looking only at the bad side and not at the good side. Those new and interesting things still needed to get done, but by the time I got back to them they were old hat and boring. They took twice the effort because I'd intentionally left them to later.

The moral of this anecdote, as I took it, was this: when a squirrel runs across in front of you, always pause to see if you're about to run into traffic, but if you're in an open field, you go get ‘em.

Five More Reasons You Want an ADHD Brain on Your Zombie Apocalypse Team (Part 3)

Third installment of a 4 part series. Part 1 is here.

Disclaimer: not every person with ADHD will have any or all of these. Displaying anything in this list doesn't mean a person has ADHD. The things on this list aren't unique to ADHD.

11. More sensitive than an optical mouse

Because we know what it’s like to be hurt, a lot, (I mean really, all the time) we have no desire to put that on anyone else. We will be very cognizant of other’s feels and needs. Another reason we won’t end up on that pesky “previously on” reel.

12. Creative as all get out

A 2011 study demonstrated what many professionals in the field had suspected for some time: the ADHD brain is actually more likely to be creative. Our solutions might be totally out of left field, but they will probably work and be something nobody else thought of. Ordinary thinking is probably what those zombies had before... Well, you know.

13. Bubbles?! YAY!!!

The delayed maturity in many ADHD people can show up as a fun-loving and lighthearted nature. This is essential for keeping up the morale of the whole team. What’s the point of fighting for the survival of humanity if you can’t laugh?

14. Chaotic survivalist

Since our lives before the apocalypse were probably pretty chaotic, we have learned how to survive and thrive in those conditions. The total collapse of civilization is really no big deal compared to trying to find a clean pair of socks. We got this.

15. I sense a disturbance in the Force...

We have wicked cool imaginations which means we can predict problems before they happen. Now, the likelihood of being attacked by a horde of the shuffling dead dressed exclusively in lolita dresses is admittedly low but... Aren’t you glad we’re prepared?

The Importance of Doing Self-Care (A Trivial Activity for Serious People)

Everyone has their limit. Many things affect the limit, and it looks different to every person, but it's there. Waiting. Lurking. Unseen and in many cases, dangerously undefined and uncertain.

My limit is usually heralded by tears. Something strikes me a certain way and here come the water works, not because the thing was necessarily that bad, but just because it's too much in that moment. When I'm chugging away on all cylinders, that thing wouldn't have gotten me down.

But take heart, friends. And take heed, for there is a magic thing you and I can do to prevent and lessen this limit-breaking stress. And it's two little words that mean just as much variety in content as does the word ‘limit’:

Self care.

Some people tend to look on self care as ‘coddling’ or ‘sheltering’ or being ‘lazy’ or ‘selfish’. You know what I think is selfish? Running on empty until you crash and burn, therefore causing others to have to pick up your pieces.

My approach to self care is the idea that many small things over time create something big. This goes both ways. Ignoring many small things that hurt eventually build up to something huge and insurmountable. Conversely, many small actions that heal eventually build up to something huge and fortifying.

I'm not talking vacations to Maui and $100 bottles of champagne. I'm talking my favourite slippers instead of cold feet and going to bed when I need to instead of being on Facebook for hours.

I often tell myself I don't have time to do self care. Maybe that's true.

What I really don't have time for, however, is not doing self care.