Last month I wrote about not being able to write the Editor's Notes first anymore. I jabbered about how it used to set the tone for the issue. Well, much to my delight, I've been forced to start the issue by writing this section first.
As I write this, I am sitting on the roof of my Dodge Durango overlooking a set of ponds in a secluded area just off the highway by my home. I think they meant for it to be an industrial park, but stopped in the middle of development for some reason. It now plays the part of sanctuary for a road weary Editor.
I've been forced from my home...AGAIN! It's okay, this time I left of my on reconnaissance . You see, it's Birthday week in my house. October means a bunch of things to me but the best is a year of growth for my little monsters. Noah, my son, hit the double digit mark this month. A decade has gone by since my wife and I looked longing at one another and asked, "what the hell do we do?". We figured it out. More concisely, we're figuring it out. Noah has made amazing strides in the last few years. He started as a problem, much like I did. They shouted ADHD, much like they did with me. They screamed genius, much like they did with me. Must be something about the DNA he and I share that would provoke such a confusing diagnosis twice in my lifetime. If you've been following the magazine long. you know I love to prove folks wrong about the conclusions they jump to, occasionally for sport but mainly to defend someone who can't speak for themselves.
I know my son. This is the tiny carbon copy of my personality and mindset. I know what the outside world sees as flightiness is actually creativity trying to escape an underdeveloped mind. I know that sitting still is a skill I still have yet to master, let alone a 9 year old boy. I understood the need to make a class laugh to hide insecurities. I get my son. I understand him. He most certainly does not have ADHD. He could use some extra focus but who couldn't?
I'm an involved parent, this much is true, however, I also lived the life they wanted him to lead. I remember the zombie feeling of Ritalin. I recall the loss of all drive or creativity when on those tiny memory erasers. To this day, a huge portion of my childhood memories are lost to those pills. My formative years flew by without me being a part of the party. I wasn't going to let that happen to my boy.
We stayed on top of it. He said he felt like a better kid when he dressed nice, so polo shirts started to fill his wardrobe. He said he had trouble seeing, glasses found their way to his face. He said he was bored and goals were put in place. You get the picture. It worked! He ended his run as class problem and moved into a place of being another smart kid in class. I couldn't be prouder.
The day after his birthday, my daughter woke up ready to tackle the age of nine. Which is how I ended up on an SUV. Layla's favorite movie is Teen Beach Movie from Disney. It conveniently stars Maia Mitchell, who you know from The Fosters. Needless to say, I was the house hero when the star tweeted to me after the review in Foster Focus. With that in mind, there are a dozen 3rd grade girls in my house dancing to 60's style beach music. Layla has always been a fun easy kid to deal with kid, for the most part. I consider myself fortunate that she hasn’t outgrown her six year old sister Eva. Though I know at some point Layla will get too old for her little sis to pal around with her friends, they’re bound to get too mature for little sisters. But for right now Eva is right there with her. Looking up at her big sister and the older girls that populate my living room dancing and squealing.
See? You get it now? I've been forced out of my home....again.
At least this time I don't mind too much. Hope you enjoy the issue!
*In a cruel twist of irony, it turns out I didn’t write nearly enough for this issue’s Editor’s Notes.
So here I sit, just before midnight on Halloween. It’s been a month where I had to sit on my SUV to write. Then the very next week was honored with the CCAI Angels in Adoption award. I saw Willie from Duck Dynasty, the Tuoheys (from Blind Side) and Hugh Jackman and his lovely wife. That was followed up by two thirds of my offspring trio getting sick, staying home from school and destroying my work schedule. End the month with a rainy night of Trick or Treating and I am just spent. Happy October has come to an end.
Next month is a double issue November/December. I have two movie reviews, a season one recap of The Fosters and whole bunch of great articles. It will be a jam packed issue. I’m really excited to get started on the work.
Well, once again I end an issue by writing this section. Could be worse...could be stuck in a living room full of screaming pre-teens! See ya next month.