The Tom Sawyer Approach
Yes, having ADHD can suck, but thanks to Mark Twain, I have a method of enjoying this crazy, ADHD-filled life we live.
My Adventures Reading Huckleberry Finn
The summer before my junior year of high school, I was forced to read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain for the AP English class I would be taking that school year. I hated these summer reading assignments, but this one I actually enjoyed. Twain’s writing style and the story intrigued me.
One of the parts I enjoyed the most was Tom Sawyer’s sudden arrival into the story. When Tom Sawyer arrives, he and Huckleberry Finn get into all sorts of mischief, mayhem, and adventures. Tom’s attitude towards these adventures is quite unique. He intentionally makes things difficult in order to make them more fun. I found this amusing and later saw its wisdom.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in North Carolina
I may look like an intense racquetball player, but I assure you I am not.
One summer, my dad, my sister, and I were going on a vacation to Greensboro, North Carolina. My older brother could not go because he had to sing at a wedding the day we left. Once we arrived in North Carolina, my dad called my brother to check in with how he was doing. They talked about our trip, and my brother expressed sadness that he could not be there with us. My dad said something along the lines of, “Well, you know, you could technically still come if you could find a last-minute flight.” My brother hopped on the internet and booked a flight. He sang at the wedding sped over to the airport, got through security, and boarded the plane as the doors were closing behind him. We drove to the airport to pick him up late at night (not a short drive, mind you).
The next began a trip that was filled with wackiness. We played racquetball. Why racquetball? Our hotel had a racquetball court. We had never played racquetball and had to google the rules. What followed was a slapstick adventure of mishaps and a somewhat improvised method of playing racquetball. We also made a day trip to Chapel Hill to visit the campus of the campus of the University of North Carolina. While wandering around the campus, it began to rain. And, when I say rain, I mean it poured. There is a picture of us in their basketball arena, and we are soaking wet. Yes, we were not pleased to be wet, but our smiles in that picture are huge. The craziness of everything we had been through made it so much more fun.
The Tom Sawyer Method and ADHD
So, what’s the lesson here? Well, the long and winding road may seem awful, but be honest. Wouldn’t a straight and non-challenging path get boring? Yes, life with ADHD can be nuts, but adventures are fun. When life is tough and challenging, remind yourself that it is not boring. You can suffer through the struggle or have fun with it. Embrace the struggle. Enjoy the roller coaster that is living with ADHD, and have fun.