Want to learn more about adult ADHD and what it’s like?

I knew you did ’cause it’s amusing, fascinating, frustrating, and it may even be you! So here’s a story with some real irony. I met a friend for a cocktail one evening. I’ve been working with this guy on and off for years and he’s always got an interesting perspective on his ADHD. That evening, he told me what a full and varied day he had. ADHD’ers out there will recognize that this agenda is full of potential roadblocks and complications.

Beginning with snaking out the clogged drain in his kitchen sink before he even left the house, he then went to a board mtg, from there had a presentation to give somewhere like four towns away, detoured on his way back to pick up an industry expert before the next consultation, dropped the guy back off afterward, picked up stuff at the printers, headed to his next appointment, and circled back to his office before meeting with his accountant at the end of the day.

“Wow!” I said. ”Of all the things you did today, what was your favorite part?”

“Nothing”, he said. “I hated all of it.”

“That doesn’t answer my question though,” I countered. “Of all the things you did today, what was the best part?”

He appeared to give it some thought, then smiled and said, “Snaking out the drain!” And we laughed. How in the world could running a snake through a pipe of icky, smelly, decomposing food waste possibly be the best part of the guy’s day?

 Because the rest of the day went exactly as planned. He was on time to every appointment. He didn’t get distracted or forget anything. He wasn’t stressed or rushing around. He even maximized his earnings for the day! It couldn’t have gone more smoothly. It was just the kind of day he typically wished he could have.

And he hated it. It was boring and predictable.

Snaking the pipes was the best part because it was unexpected, messy, and demanded his immediate attention. Jeff is naturally in his element and on the ball when the frenetic energy flows! Many ADHD’ers find this to be true and it explains why they make excellent EMT’s or ER docs. They thrive under pressure. Since the remainder of the day held nothing as urgent or exciting, it just went downhill from there. Until the drink with me of course! 

Is there something you think you want that you might in fact be better without?

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