ADHD. Attention Deficit Disorder. Ominous sounding, right? Wrong. I am so sick and tired of society dictating what behavior is the norm, or more specifically, the blunt assumption that anyone different than the standard 9-to-5-er is a threat to humanity in general and should therefore be gagged with hideous little green pills and hung upside down by their thumbs.

Let’s review, shall we? Pay attention now. *snicker* Ahem. Officially, ADHD symptoms include inattentiveness, the tendency to dream or space out a lot, being easily distracted by outside events that others tend to ignore, procrastination, general disorganization and discombobulation, forgetfulness, fidgeting and squirming, talking excessively (guilty as charged, your honor), and other various assorted goodies. ADHD sounds lovely, non? Actually, it is. Here, ladies and gentleman, is where your re-education begins.

Unfortunately for those of us gifted with the double-edged sword of ADD or ADHD, society and the mammals known as human beings tend to be afraid of and isolate those who are different from the general flock of sheep. Baaaaaah. Anyone who tends to go their own way or attempts to be different and question the norm gets labeled as an outcast. I’m not bitter here, these are just facts – Basic human psychology, folks. It’s because people with ADHD question the very fabric of society people are so comfortably blanketed in, and, well, it scares those who do not. So, conveniently for those not blessed with ADHD, they labeled it as a disorder and proceeded to attempt to sedate and/or stuff pills down the throats of people who don’t know better, in the hopes of making them conform – So they don’t threaten their perfect little world.

Now here’s where your re-education comes in. The facts are, in fact, that ADHD is not a disorder. Far from it. ADHD is so much of a gift, you wish you had it. Oh, sorry, there aren’t any little green pills that will magically give you ADD. Bummer. ADHD-ers are actually brilliant – They’re the heros when going gets tough, highly creative problem solvers, have unlimited energy (for those things that catch their interest), are industrious and ambitious, thrive in areas involving thrill, excitement and risk, rebels (with a cause), and make absolutely great leaders when their gifts are properly utilized.

Don’t believe me? Fine. Skepticm acknowledged. Ever hear of a little guy named Thomas Edison? Yes, yes, he invented the light bulb, genius, and yes, he also had ADHD. How about a quirky little fella called Albert Einstein? Yep, ADHD. You want someone more recent? Try George Lucas, P. Diddy and Bono of U2 – All ADHD and all unarguably quite freakin’ brilliant. It’s about time people both realize and acknowledge the fact that ADHD is not a disorder, but a gift.

This is also a perfect opportunity for those individuals with ADHD to realize that they’re blessed, unlike society would lead them to believe. There’s a fantastic new book out there, written by Garret LoPorto, a fellow ADHD-er, that enlightens the brilliance of the ADHD mind (which makes up less than 10% of the world population, mind you). The DaVinci Method (yes, he had it too) educates the world-at-large on the wonders of ADHD and more importantly, teaches you to harness and make use of the incredible gifts that ADHD has to offer. The DaVinci Method can be gotten here. It’s a fantastic read and highly, highly recommended. And as always, my inattentive readers, I’d love to hear any comments, criticisms or snorts, so please, feel free.

Tags: ADD, ADHD, Davinci method, Education, Humor, Kids, People, Social