Legacy

Whenever I attend an end of life ceremony, it invariably causes me to take stock of my own life. I hear the loved ones of the deceased speaking such tearful and heartfelt memories. They talk about gifts given that will linger on long past the departure of the physical presence.

What words will be spoken after I draw my final breath?

It's hard to assess with any real clarity how others feel about and perceive us. The smallest action, unknowingly taken, can have vast and rippling effects, completely hidden to the initiator. Some of the most impactful events cannot be expressed in words, and therefore go unsaid.

What words would I choose to be spoken?

Every person has their own unique set of values and traits. Highest on my list are things like kindness, love, compassion, acceptance. If I could select any traits to be remembered, it would be these. That everyone in my life felt some variation on those things that I hold most dear.

What power do we have over how we are remembered?

Perception is a tricky thing. No matter how hard we try, the image of us in the minds and lives of others is subject to their particular lens. The only power that remains to us is to live true to our internal compass. We will be valued by those who value the same things.

In memory of Gord Hope, 1954-2016

The Law of an Open Mind

In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode The Game (season 5, episode 6) a very short-lived character was seen for the second and last time. Ensign Robin Lefler, played by Ashley Judd. Among her many spunky attributes is her book of personal laws. Robin’s Laws, created whenever she learns "something essential”. This concept always intrigued me, and recently I created my own set of laws.

Number 7:

“There's always a chance everything I believe is untrue and I must keep an open mind for those things to change.”

The theory behind this idea is the simple fact that there are many things in other people’s minds I wish would change. The idea that any one person is invariably correct, for one. The idea that telling others their experience is untrue or false is a helpful act, for another.

If I want to be more loving and kind than those rigid beliefs permit, I must obviously allow my own mind to remain flexible and accepting.

The Lesson of Deadpool

Chanimaille Deadpool.

The entity known as Deadpool (real name: Ryan Reynolds) has something the world can learn from. So sit down, and let me tell you a thing.

Be you. Forget the rest.

Deadpool: in theatres Feb. 12th 2016 (Rated R)

Five More Reasons You Want an ADHD Brain on Your Zombie Apocalypse Team (Part 2)

Second 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 on this list doesn’t mean a person has ADHD. The things on this list aren’t unique to ADHD.

6. Bro, do you even lift?

Physical hyperactivity can sometimes translate into physical fitness because the individual simply must move. Carrying firewood, fighting off the horde, running to safety, these are all important survival skills made easier by a high fitness level.

7. Change?! YAY!!!

Because boredom is the enemy, we adore change. Constantly moving from place to place, looking for the things we need to survive, not knowing where the next toilet paper is coming from? Perfect, to the ADHD brain.

8. Quick decision making

In an apocalypse there’s no time to discuss things in a committee. ADHD’s impulsivity will work to the team’s advantage in a crisis because sometimes delay is just as much of a killer. Our high levels of intuition means that more than likely that snap judgement will be a good one.

9. “Everyone’s saying ‘hello’ to each other, how wonderful.”

Another time saver will be pleasantries. We hate ‘em. We can’t stand ‘em. They’ll finally be gone now that the social constructs of civilization have deteriorated. Good riddance, so say I.

10. Easy-going, all day long

We are just the most chill subsection of people you’d ever care to meet. We’ll often go with the majority vote, because making decisions is hard, ok... We also have the worst memories which means all those grudges and feuds featured in the “previously on” clip don’t even matter to us.

Pill Pod System

Something I recently learned about ADHD is often we can't use existing systems. Even such basic things as planners and forms; we need to alter them to specifically fit us. This is something I've been doing for a long time.

A perfect example of that is my pill pod system. I need certain medications available to me at all times, and I hate having things rattling in my bag.

The little pods that contain the surprise in a Kinder egg are perfect for carrying pills. They are durable, easy to write on with a permanent marker, and easy to open and close.

Two cotton balls will keep the pills from making any noise therefore increasing privacy surrounding medications. Keeping them blank and unlabeled will also help with visual privacy.

They will even fit chewable antacids. If the medication you need is in a blister pack, cut each pill out of the sheet in a smooth oval or circle to avoid sharp pointed edges.

Write any dosages on a slip of paper and include inside the pod.

I refill the pods as soon as they become empty so I am guaranteed the medication when I need it. A great way to do this is text or email myself a reminder as soon as I notice.

Warnings:

- When traveling across international borders, always keep prescription medication in its original containers. Never use this system when traveling internationally.

- These pods are a neon sign for children. I would not feel at all comfortable allowing this system near children because of the potential hazards. A way to avoid this hazard would be to keep the pods in a container inaccessible to children, such a small, locked box, in the bag, purse, or desk.

- I also haven't been able to confirm that they are made from food safe plastic. They are sold with an edible product so it makes sense to me they would be, but the Internet has not yet furnished me with confirmation either way.

App Spotlight: Alarmed by Yoctoville

I've told a lot of people about the reminder and timer app Alarmed. I've been using it every single day for almost two years and I can't imagine life without it.

A handful of years ago I learned that ADHD individuals have terrible memories. The advice to counteract this was if you ever find yourself thinking "Oh I'll remember that..." don't, under any circumstances, trust it. Always, always, always, write it down.

I took this advice to heart and began using the proprietary Apple reminders app 'Reminders'. It worked well. I began doing things, such as chores, more consistently, and I had a reliable place to record any requests made of me. It even made planning my wedding smoother.

The only drawback of the app (for my needs) was the set time intervals. Daily, weekly, every two weeks, monthly, and yearly.* I needed more flexibility.

I went looking for an app that would better meet my needs. A few pages into the search results (there are a lot of reminder apps out there) I found Alarmed, now called Alarmed ~ Reminders + Timers by Yoctoville. I downloaded it for free and began a road test.

It was a game changer and I cannot honestly say whether I would have continued using a reminder app if not for this program. Not only did it provide the flexibility in time intervals I needed, but it has a slew of other features that have come in incredibly handy.

One such ingenious aspect is the NagMe! feature. You can set the reminder to sound off repeatedly, until you interact with the app. This has proved invaluable for medication, public transport, and many other things.

Alarmed has recently received a complete overhaul for iOS 9. My iPhone 4S can't handle the newest software so I am sadly ignorant of all the new features. I'm certain however that the app continues to deliver nothing but the best.

I have only ever had one very minor glitch on this app, and that was from a time when I had kept the app open continuously for months on end. I now close it once a week and have not had any more trouble. I store an enormous amount of data in the app, and yet it does not crash and the reminders are never corrupted or incorrect or fail to activate.

From my experience, the app is user friendly. I am, however, aware that 'user friendly' is a very subjective term. The app includes a comprehensive operations manual, along with a FAQ page. The DayMinder feature is a bit complex, but incredibly useful once you get to know it.

The app is free to download, and offers a few additional features and sounds for an in-app purchase. In my opinion, the features are completely worth it, especially to support an individual attempting to live their dream of self-sustaining through ingenuity.

Unfortunately, the app is not available for Android.

The one complaint I had about this app was the lack of lists, and it looks like in the iOS 9 update that has been fixed. Also, the app now has categories you can apply to your reminders.

So, all in all, a truly amazing app for this ADHD brain. If you suffer from a poor memory, like me, this app might be just what you need.

*Footnote: Apple has since updated the app in, iOS 9, to include custom repeat intervals.

Tri-Con 2016

What. A. Weekend!

It's been months since my last geek con and I was so happy to be back among my people at Tri-Con in Kitchener/Waterloo, hosted by THEMUSEUM. I saw friends I see a couple times a year, made new friends, and got to try out some new cosplay.

First new cosplay in a long time was Mary Margaret/Snow White from Once Upon A Time. It was very gratifying to see people's reactions to it. I was told it looked very accurate.

Star Wars was a large part of the con. Where else can you see an Ewok hanging out with R2-D2, in real life?!

I was super excited to cosplay with my sister. We were Tadashi and Hiro Hamada from Big Hero 6. 

The Doctor would be appalled... I managed to grab a shot of a Dalek wearing the Fourth Doctor's scarf. This version is metal, made of chainmaille. It took me 19 hours.

My all-time favourite cosplay to wear was captured brilliantly by Very Frank Pictures. The quizzical Castiel, from Supernatural.

All in all, I had an amazing time. Be sure to check out Tri-Con next year!