This was a fantastic read!!! I’ve been obsessed with music since I was little - I appreciate that you put some of this in words - it was probably always a form of therapy for me. Music was my best friend. A coping mechanism. Loved Thomas Dolby!!
I made it through school. Definitely have ADHD (never been hyperactive), depression, anxiety, OCD, and agoraphobia. 😂 I spent almost 10 years on different antidepressants (never felt like they worked) only to find out that I’m missing two enzymes that metabolize most antidepressants (ADHD meds, anxiety meds, and pain meds as well). So, I drink, listen to music, write, and try to remember to smoke a little weed when I’m in Illinois lol. It was a lot of trial and error to find a strain that didn’t enhance my ADHD! It wasn’t something I did often in high school, so I always forget I should try it more often.
Thanks, Kristin! That all sounds like a lot to navigate the world with. My main ones are anxiety and OCD. Agoraphobia is a tough one. The pandemic certainly triggered a bit of it in me — where I rarely wanted to leave home even after it was safe to. But I’m more or less okay interacting with humanity in public. Just went to a 3 day tennis tournament and was around big crowds all day long. Had to do a lot of deep breaths. Thanks for your thoughtful comments and for reading.
For as challenging as the pandemic was, it was not a big change in the lifestyle I was leading because I didn't go places anyway - it actually helped me a little bit. Being forcibly cooped up for that long made me WANT to go places hahahaha! (Like, I don't want to go anywhere, but how dare you tell me I can't)... Two other contributing factors have helped me be able to get out and do things (co-writing a book that forced me to go out and do interviews, research, and marketing was one). It takes a lot out of me, and I can only go do things now because I have friends, and it's mostly going to places that I know and have been to enough to be familiar with. If friends are meeting somewhere I haven't been to before, I will drive over to one of their houses and ride with them. I do decline a lot of the more big event types of things they go to, but try to go to as many of the smaller gatherings as I can.
I will say - in elementary I was in gifted and talented, then in high school I either got As or barely passed classes because I just never learned how to study, or do homework, or time management skills 😂 I still struggle with time management and organization.
I absolutely agree that school is even hard for neurotypical children. I now have four children (all neurodivergent) who have struggled so much in school and have been on IEPs. I wonder how I made it through.
I think about it all from so many perspectives. How most teachers are not trained in teaching neurodivergent students. how there seems to be more resources for severely disabled kids than ones with less pronounced difficulties.(My nephew is one — minimally verbal, has MS, is blind — but has a school that picks him up from his house and takes him to class, and will, until he is 25.) And at the same time, there may be more options/resources for student aged than for, say, 20-somethings. I am guessing, but maybe you have direct experience on this topic?
Yes to all of this! I had so many issues with getting appropriate accommodations for my oldest! They had zero experience working with children who didn’t have intellectual disabilities, and everything was geared for children who did! My oldest has what used to be called Aspergers. So, he was academically advanced, but wouldn’t do his work - he needed help starting and finishing. He also needed someone to help him with questions on the standardized tests - not to help him figure out the answers, but to help him with the questions lol Anyway- they only wrote IEPs through the focus of behavioral issues - he had no behavioral problems… it was a whole process. And so many years of having to advocate to get the IEP goals to suit what he needed, not reduce behaviors 🙄
And as I have spent many years teaching college classes, accommodations are basic and for all (unless a student is blind or deaf - then they get braille textbooks or whatever fitting accommodations for those disabilities). Every single accommodation form I’ve seen amounts to extra time for assignments without penalty. That’s the college fits all accommodation for any neurodivergent student.
The University of Iowa was doing some interesting things- this conversation just reminded me of that! Years ago I heard they have a “twice exceptional” program and can’t remember if it’s combined with a program they have for autistic students or not, but now am going to go look at that again because my oldest will be graduating this year. He has figured out how to get his work done and is a straight A student. I’m sure he will do well at college, but I also worry that because he won’t have teachers pestering him to get assignments in, he may have issues.
This was great. I agree with Brad: it's impressive how openly and eloquently you can talk about this kind of stuff. Bravo. I didn't suffer from hyperactivity in the traditional sense of the word, although a doctor diagnosed some sort of attention deficit disorder in my childhood, which I was told I quickly learned to overcompensate (by being extremely focused, for example). But some things remain: my math skills are terrible (I know many people say this, but I can't even do the basics). I've always found humanities (languages, particularly) a lot easier and more enjoyable. Secondary school was spent smoking, drinking, going to gigs, shagging, and doing all sorts of unspeakable things, but I always managed to get good grades and "pretend" I was paying attention in class... and by no means suffering from a severe case of hangover and sleep deprivation 😅 Great read as always!
Thanks so much, Andres. Sometimes I feel like I’m talking too much about myself and such topics. So your feedback really helps me believe I’m on the right track. I was similar to you in the screwing around yet still getting good grades. I wasn’t ADHD, but was lost in my head and always at a remove. Sounds like you were able to adapt to the setting you were in. Probably still can I bet!
I love the personal stories and how you narrate them. It's a big plus and, in my opinion, a huge asset, because from our perspective as your readers, it "humanises" you. We all know that there's a human being behind the earworms and the music knowledge, but every now and then, when you tell a story about your childhood, or some of your isms or struggles as an adult, it kind of makes us feel closer to you, and it helps us "bond" with you. To me, that means I can make more sense of why you have developed your obsession with earworms, for example. Someone for whom earworms are so powerful will necessarily have a peculiar mind -- it is part of your "brand", so to speak -- so, when you let us have a peek into more intimate or personal stuff, it kind of helps us put some of the pieces of the puzzle together. There will always be a fine line between retaining some aura of mystery (which is also an asset in and of itself) and giving us a taste of the quirky, juicy, peculiar stuff that makes you unique. It's a power dynamic, if you will, but I think you manage it super well (perhaps unbeknownst to you). So a very long and convoluted message to simply say keep doing what you are doing. In my humble opinion, I think it's wonderful.
I’ve listened to very little Thomas Dolby, primarily the songs that were hits. But I’m enjoying what I’m hearing of The Flat Earth so far.
I struggled with undiagnosed ADHD through my entire school career. I was the class clown and always getting in trouble which led to issues with my parents, particularly with my dad. That in turn led me to self-medicate and I became addicted to alcohol and drugs. Thankfully I was lucky enough to hit rock bottom without dying first and managed to get sober in my early 20s.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people I met in the recovery community that went undiagnosed with ADD/ADHD and ended up self-medicating with alcohol and drugs to cope.
Thanks for sharing, Mark. Yeah, the class clown method of dealing is a big one. It works until it doesn’t. Slow glad you survived the addiction and figured out how to navigate this strange but amazing world. Yes, music plays an integral role in our journey.
So impressed that you so easily (effectively, certainly) share your personal struggles (however long ago)! I taught 4th and 5th grade for four years 15 years ago, so I've met my share of Steves, and was always torn between the struggle of how to "deal" with them, and my heart going out to them for what you so accurately described as the abnormality of sitting and listening for hours on end!
I would often use proximity and a gentle pat on the back as I passed their desks, not only to change their perspectives ("uh-oh, he's not by the blackboard any more!"), but to give them a bit of a tactile reminder that A) I don't hate them and B) "I kinda get where you're at, bruh"....however much it may have helped.
And, I'd use music and humor to break the tedium. I realized my past gave me talents that other teachers didn't have, so I used 'em. When I felt I was losing the class's attention, I'd sing the McDonald's da-da-da-da-da......and, they'd invariably, in unison, come back with, "I'm lovin' it!" Or, a rousing chorus of "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?"
In a Notes note about a month ago, I mentioned the exercise I taught my 4th graders once: Name a new cartoon character using the Spongebob equation: common noun, proper name, geometric shape, and article of clothing.....like, HammerSteve TriangleShirt, etc. Then, of course, they could draw and color their new character. I told them this is how SpongeBobby (as he allows good friends to call him) got his name, as a similar game got passed around a conference table somewhere in Hollywood!
As for air guitar.....no, I didn't do guitars. I was a desk drummer. Probably starting with "Wipeout" (late '60s, jr. hi), I graduated to "Watcher of the Skies" by Genesis in high school, early '70s. Perfected in well within a week. The song that enamored me to not only Genesis, but the drumming of Phil. And, I loathed drum solos back in the day, but could, somehow, "lock" into Phil's style and could, within short periods, be able to play along on a nearby table or desk any new Genesis songs!
One of my go to Lip Sync and air instrumentation is the Tommy the Cat Live off the Primus Rhinoplasty album. I think try to sing along more than lip sync but I definitely do the full service Air Bass and Air Drums for this. It’s a very good time.
Thanks, Chase! Yeah, Primus are a great band for air instrumenting to. I love Primus but I think I like his psychedelic collaboration with Sean Lennon even more.
"I wonder if many of us — the people who were able to navigate the public (and private) school systems in the United States (I don’t know about other countries) — were able to learn in a traditional classroom setting because we were lucky enough to be equipped to adapt to this modality." Clever! A dry way of saying that the "pussified" classrooms that morons like Jordan Peterson rail against are actually not bad for all boys. They are only bad for boys raised by their parents to be savages. Great piece.
Love your posts. And I'm pretty sure I'm neuroatypical/-divergent or whatever else it's called. Because I have a knack for over compensating by being SUPER on top of details and focusing like mad (which revs up the anxiety or maybe it's caused by it?), I get bundled into the "You could never be...[you're too organized!] or [you're so focused] or "[fill in the pathology blank] category. Anyways, I guess the silver lining is that we know ourselves better as we age.
There’s a little “play” button (a little right facing triangle) at the top of posts that will read a post to you. I lip synced your post. Probably not a copyright violation, but come at me, bro…
Thanks for a cool post - Thomas Dolby was “out there” just far enough to be interesting to me without being too much…
Hyperactive spoke to me with it's funky beat and with hearts being ripped apart. It is such a chameleon and that makes it so fun. I can't find who is playing the doctor in the video but I'm pretty sure it's the same iconic actor who was in Blinded Me With Science. And that video is whacked!
Need to point out that Lip Sync Battle originated with Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show and Krasinski just took the idea and converted it into a series. We have it to thank for the now iconic version of Umbrella by Tom Holland. It single-handily turned him into an internet sex symbol and probably was when Zendaya fell for him. How could you leave that out?
You're welcome. I do have to point out that this performance is considered the best ever, so set expectations accordingly. Having said that, the celebrities go all out and it's really amazing.
Yeah, thanks for this. I knew about Jimmy Fallon origins but was trying to keep it condensed. I had read something years ago about the gentleman in his videos but I have forgotten all the details.
I can just imagine "air drumming" Neil Peart. I'd probably hurt myself.
Great piece, Steve.
Yeah, I wouldn’t do it today — but as a younger me, I had a lot more flexibility and dexterity in my limbs.😎 I even had an air gong behind me!
Great read. Music as medicine -- it's such a beautiful thought. Thanks for re-upping this one! :D
This was a fantastic read!!! I’ve been obsessed with music since I was little - I appreciate that you put some of this in words - it was probably always a form of therapy for me. Music was my best friend. A coping mechanism. Loved Thomas Dolby!!
I made it through school. Definitely have ADHD (never been hyperactive), depression, anxiety, OCD, and agoraphobia. 😂 I spent almost 10 years on different antidepressants (never felt like they worked) only to find out that I’m missing two enzymes that metabolize most antidepressants (ADHD meds, anxiety meds, and pain meds as well). So, I drink, listen to music, write, and try to remember to smoke a little weed when I’m in Illinois lol. It was a lot of trial and error to find a strain that didn’t enhance my ADHD! It wasn’t something I did often in high school, so I always forget I should try it more often.
Thanks, Kristin! That all sounds like a lot to navigate the world with. My main ones are anxiety and OCD. Agoraphobia is a tough one. The pandemic certainly triggered a bit of it in me — where I rarely wanted to leave home even after it was safe to. But I’m more or less okay interacting with humanity in public. Just went to a 3 day tennis tournament and was around big crowds all day long. Had to do a lot of deep breaths. Thanks for your thoughtful comments and for reading.
For as challenging as the pandemic was, it was not a big change in the lifestyle I was leading because I didn't go places anyway - it actually helped me a little bit. Being forcibly cooped up for that long made me WANT to go places hahahaha! (Like, I don't want to go anywhere, but how dare you tell me I can't)... Two other contributing factors have helped me be able to get out and do things (co-writing a book that forced me to go out and do interviews, research, and marketing was one). It takes a lot out of me, and I can only go do things now because I have friends, and it's mostly going to places that I know and have been to enough to be familiar with. If friends are meeting somewhere I haven't been to before, I will drive over to one of their houses and ride with them. I do decline a lot of the more big event types of things they go to, but try to go to as many of the smaller gatherings as I can.
I will say - in elementary I was in gifted and talented, then in high school I either got As or barely passed classes because I just never learned how to study, or do homework, or time management skills 😂 I still struggle with time management and organization.
I absolutely agree that school is even hard for neurotypical children. I now have four children (all neurodivergent) who have struggled so much in school and have been on IEPs. I wonder how I made it through.
I think about it all from so many perspectives. How most teachers are not trained in teaching neurodivergent students. how there seems to be more resources for severely disabled kids than ones with less pronounced difficulties.(My nephew is one — minimally verbal, has MS, is blind — but has a school that picks him up from his house and takes him to class, and will, until he is 25.) And at the same time, there may be more options/resources for student aged than for, say, 20-somethings. I am guessing, but maybe you have direct experience on this topic?
Yes to all of this! I had so many issues with getting appropriate accommodations for my oldest! They had zero experience working with children who didn’t have intellectual disabilities, and everything was geared for children who did! My oldest has what used to be called Aspergers. So, he was academically advanced, but wouldn’t do his work - he needed help starting and finishing. He also needed someone to help him with questions on the standardized tests - not to help him figure out the answers, but to help him with the questions lol Anyway- they only wrote IEPs through the focus of behavioral issues - he had no behavioral problems… it was a whole process. And so many years of having to advocate to get the IEP goals to suit what he needed, not reduce behaviors 🙄
And as I have spent many years teaching college classes, accommodations are basic and for all (unless a student is blind or deaf - then they get braille textbooks or whatever fitting accommodations for those disabilities). Every single accommodation form I’ve seen amounts to extra time for assignments without penalty. That’s the college fits all accommodation for any neurodivergent student.
The University of Iowa was doing some interesting things- this conversation just reminded me of that! Years ago I heard they have a “twice exceptional” program and can’t remember if it’s combined with a program they have for autistic students or not, but now am going to go look at that again because my oldest will be graduating this year. He has figured out how to get his work done and is a straight A student. I’m sure he will do well at college, but I also worry that because he won’t have teachers pestering him to get assignments in, he may have issues.
This was great. I agree with Brad: it's impressive how openly and eloquently you can talk about this kind of stuff. Bravo. I didn't suffer from hyperactivity in the traditional sense of the word, although a doctor diagnosed some sort of attention deficit disorder in my childhood, which I was told I quickly learned to overcompensate (by being extremely focused, for example). But some things remain: my math skills are terrible (I know many people say this, but I can't even do the basics). I've always found humanities (languages, particularly) a lot easier and more enjoyable. Secondary school was spent smoking, drinking, going to gigs, shagging, and doing all sorts of unspeakable things, but I always managed to get good grades and "pretend" I was paying attention in class... and by no means suffering from a severe case of hangover and sleep deprivation 😅 Great read as always!
Thanks so much, Andres. Sometimes I feel like I’m talking too much about myself and such topics. So your feedback really helps me believe I’m on the right track. I was similar to you in the screwing around yet still getting good grades. I wasn’t ADHD, but was lost in my head and always at a remove. Sounds like you were able to adapt to the setting you were in. Probably still can I bet!
I love the personal stories and how you narrate them. It's a big plus and, in my opinion, a huge asset, because from our perspective as your readers, it "humanises" you. We all know that there's a human being behind the earworms and the music knowledge, but every now and then, when you tell a story about your childhood, or some of your isms or struggles as an adult, it kind of makes us feel closer to you, and it helps us "bond" with you. To me, that means I can make more sense of why you have developed your obsession with earworms, for example. Someone for whom earworms are so powerful will necessarily have a peculiar mind -- it is part of your "brand", so to speak -- so, when you let us have a peek into more intimate or personal stuff, it kind of helps us put some of the pieces of the puzzle together. There will always be a fine line between retaining some aura of mystery (which is also an asset in and of itself) and giving us a taste of the quirky, juicy, peculiar stuff that makes you unique. It's a power dynamic, if you will, but I think you manage it super well (perhaps unbeknownst to you). So a very long and convoluted message to simply say keep doing what you are doing. In my humble opinion, I think it's wonderful.
I’ve listened to very little Thomas Dolby, primarily the songs that were hits. But I’m enjoying what I’m hearing of The Flat Earth so far.
I struggled with undiagnosed ADHD through my entire school career. I was the class clown and always getting in trouble which led to issues with my parents, particularly with my dad. That in turn led me to self-medicate and I became addicted to alcohol and drugs. Thankfully I was lucky enough to hit rock bottom without dying first and managed to get sober in my early 20s.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people I met in the recovery community that went undiagnosed with ADD/ADHD and ended up self-medicating with alcohol and drugs to cope.
I recommend Dolby’s later albums too. I personally like everything he’s done but I do get why Aliens Ate My Buick was critically panned.
Thanks for sharing, Mark. Yeah, the class clown method of dealing is a big one. It works until it doesn’t. Slow glad you survived the addiction and figured out how to navigate this strange but amazing world. Yes, music plays an integral role in our journey.
So impressed that you so easily (effectively, certainly) share your personal struggles (however long ago)! I taught 4th and 5th grade for four years 15 years ago, so I've met my share of Steves, and was always torn between the struggle of how to "deal" with them, and my heart going out to them for what you so accurately described as the abnormality of sitting and listening for hours on end!
I would often use proximity and a gentle pat on the back as I passed their desks, not only to change their perspectives ("uh-oh, he's not by the blackboard any more!"), but to give them a bit of a tactile reminder that A) I don't hate them and B) "I kinda get where you're at, bruh"....however much it may have helped.
And, I'd use music and humor to break the tedium. I realized my past gave me talents that other teachers didn't have, so I used 'em. When I felt I was losing the class's attention, I'd sing the McDonald's da-da-da-da-da......and, they'd invariably, in unison, come back with, "I'm lovin' it!" Or, a rousing chorus of "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?"
In a Notes note about a month ago, I mentioned the exercise I taught my 4th graders once: Name a new cartoon character using the Spongebob equation: common noun, proper name, geometric shape, and article of clothing.....like, HammerSteve TriangleShirt, etc. Then, of course, they could draw and color their new character. I told them this is how SpongeBobby (as he allows good friends to call him) got his name, as a similar game got passed around a conference table somewhere in Hollywood!
As for air guitar.....no, I didn't do guitars. I was a desk drummer. Probably starting with "Wipeout" (late '60s, jr. hi), I graduated to "Watcher of the Skies" by Genesis in high school, early '70s. Perfected in well within a week. The song that enamored me to not only Genesis, but the drumming of Phil. And, I loathed drum solos back in the day, but could, somehow, "lock" into Phil's style and could, within short periods, be able to play along on a nearby table or desk any new Genesis songs!
Great article, HammerSteve!
Your pal, DoorBrad CircleSocks😁👍
Thanks, Doorbell Dirtysocks!
One of my go to Lip Sync and air instrumentation is the Tommy the Cat Live off the Primus Rhinoplasty album. I think try to sing along more than lip sync but I definitely do the full service Air Bass and Air Drums for this. It’s a very good time.
https://open.spotify.com/track/2gaPT9l0e1JJyfsym2ny0E?si=CUC1ieohRqCWzHPKJbBDPw
I wasn’t hyperactive in school but I did struggle with talking too much to my peers and getting too creative with my answers for things.
Thanks, Chase! Yeah, Primus are a great band for air instrumenting to. I love Primus but I think I like his psychedelic collaboration with Sean Lennon even more.
The lip-synching segment was hilarious. It read like something from Firesign Theatre.
"It’s rumored that an appearance by yours truly, lip-synching to Thomas Dolby’s “Hyperactive,” is set for the summer of 2024."
That's a very exciting rumor!
If anyone was going to hold my feet to the fire on that one, it would be you, Nick!😎 I’ll see what I can do.
I wasn't entirely sure if the comment was serious, but I liked the idea and was happy to consider it a hot rumor.
"I wonder if many of us — the people who were able to navigate the public (and private) school systems in the United States (I don’t know about other countries) — were able to learn in a traditional classroom setting because we were lucky enough to be equipped to adapt to this modality." Clever! A dry way of saying that the "pussified" classrooms that morons like Jordan Peterson rail against are actually not bad for all boys. They are only bad for boys raised by their parents to be savages. Great piece.
I suppose that sentence could have used some editing … that’s what happens when I try to sound smart! Thanks for reading, Charles!
Well, you do sound smart! That was a compliment. I would be too rude to say it politely.
Steve,
Love your posts. And I'm pretty sure I'm neuroatypical/-divergent or whatever else it's called. Because I have a knack for over compensating by being SUPER on top of details and focusing like mad (which revs up the anxiety or maybe it's caused by it?), I get bundled into the "You could never be...[you're too organized!] or [you're so focused] or "[fill in the pathology blank] category. Anyways, I guess the silver lining is that we know ourselves better as we age.
Thanks, Beth. I do like to write about mental illness, even the ones I don’t have!🤓
There’s a little “play” button (a little right facing triangle) at the top of posts that will read a post to you. I lip synced your post. Probably not a copyright violation, but come at me, bro…
Thanks for a cool post - Thomas Dolby was “out there” just far enough to be interesting to me without being too much…
As long as you don’t carve out a mocking impression of me on a cave wall, you can do whatever you want!
Don't have time to read it just yet but just excited because I love this song so much! Will write more later.
Looking forward to what you have to say!
Hyperactive spoke to me with it's funky beat and with hearts being ripped apart. It is such a chameleon and that makes it so fun. I can't find who is playing the doctor in the video but I'm pretty sure it's the same iconic actor who was in Blinded Me With Science. And that video is whacked!
Need to point out that Lip Sync Battle originated with Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show and Krasinski just took the idea and converted it into a series. We have it to thank for the now iconic version of Umbrella by Tom Holland. It single-handily turned him into an internet sex symbol and probably was when Zendaya fell for him. How could you leave that out?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Brq-exSvB7Q
OMG I haven’t watched the show, but going to now! This Tom Holland version of Umbrella!!!!! Incredible!! Thanks for that!!
You're welcome. I do have to point out that this performance is considered the best ever, so set expectations accordingly. Having said that, the celebrities go all out and it's really amazing.
Yeah, thanks for this. I knew about Jimmy Fallon origins but was trying to keep it condensed. I had read something years ago about the gentleman in his videos but I have forgotten all the details.