Ponder: Non-fiction ADHD and Playing

It is not often I read a non-fiction book, but lately I have read two. I was inspired to read both books based on humorous You-Tube videos I watch by the talented guys who generated them, Penn Holderness (ADHD) and Randy Rainbow (Playing). 

ADHD is Awesome ©2024 by Penn and Kim Holderness, is a humorous and practical look at what has the potential to be a frustrating and boring topic. The YouTube video ADHD - "Under The Sea" Parody is remarkable and very much worth viewing. Therapists and teachers have shown it to those displaying ADHD to uplift their spirits and self-esteem. ADHD is an acronym for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, which Penn insists is a horrible name and campaigns to change it to something not so negative. Penn himself was diagnosed with ADHD but not until college. ADHD has not prevented him from a successful career.  Some aspects of the way his brain works were an advantage that helped Penn and his wife Kim win The Amazing Race Competition in 2022.

ADHD is Awesome is an engaging read that is also fun. Usually I do not find non-fiction books fun. There are cartoon illustrations scattered throughout along with side bar comments and viewpoints from other people. Both techniques prevent a constant flow of text from becoming boring. Even the pages and their borders are colored to spark a continued interest.

Oddly irrelevant facts spark curiosity in the read. Why do men have nipples since the do not nurse babies? Did you know that parts of the vascular system of a whale have a large enough diameter to fit a human? Have you ever heard of Bionic reading?

I rate ADHD is Awesome four stars mainly because I painlessly learned a fair amount. The non-fiction aspect did not detract from my entertainment. I find that often when I read a non-fiction book, by ~60% or so through it, I find my self saying "Yeah, yeah, I get the point", and lose interest in finishing the book.  ADHD is Awesome was not repetitious with the material presented in the later portions. The final two chapters provided tips to cope with aspects of ADHD, which could be applicable for many other situations. How to avoid and deal with distractions is just one example.

★★★★☆ Really good; maybe only one weak aspect or limited audience

One of the books cited in ADHD is Awesome is The Rabbit Listened ©2018 by Cori Doerrfeld. I do not remember exactly where the citation was in ADHD; in fact I am not 100% sure that I learned of the book from ADHD. Anyway,  The Rabbit Listened is a simple little children's story but I thought it was so sweet and germane that I cited it here. Our country seems to have a lot of vitriol abundant now and this viewpoint was so refreshing. I was glad that I had checked it out of the library for  peek — made me smile.

Yes, The Rabbit Listened is a book for a young child but I believe the techniques and approaches within are very applicable to adults as well. The brief amount of time I spent reading it made me reflect on and reconsider how I deal with others struggling or in pain. I rated The Rabbit Listened five stars.

★★★★★ Great! Read it!

The second non-fiction book is Playing with Myself ©2022 by Randy Rainbow. Yes. Randy Rainbow is indeed his real name. Randy Rainbow writes and performs parodies of easily recognizable show tunes. Since this year is the 60th anniversary of the Mary Poppins movie, I selected this particular You Tube as an example of one of Randy Rainbow's, BRAGGADOCIOUS!: Randy Rainbow Moderates Debate #1. Dick Van Dyke's comment to Randy about this video stated, "Creatively precocious, elegantly loquacious, clever and audacious, funny and vivacious! What a wit! Good gracious!". 

I also enjoyed the cleverness for a pre-election video on who will be president. Ignore or fast forward through the commercial which runs 0:30 to 1:41. If you are not politically inclined, this video may not tickle your fancy, but it does fit with so well with the song choice for the parody, The Farmer and the Cowman from Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!

The first half to two-thirds of the book were about Randy's childhood and his development of his current career. I found these early chapters inspiring, and eye-opening both in his persistence and also in the unconditional support and extensive encouragement given from a young age by his mother and grandmother. He and Carol Burnett shared their closeness with their respective grandmothers as something they had in common, in addition to their comedic instincts. His coping and management living alone through the COVID crisis was a fresh look at the topic of isolation and loss. In the late chapters of the book I grew a bit bored. As Randy became famous, he interacted a lot of well-known personalities in the entertainment field and subsequently did more name dropping. Some of them impressed me — like Carol Burnett and Dick Van Dyke, who are a few of my favorites. Others were a ho-hum for me, largely because many of those names pointed out my ignorance of not knowing who they were. I rate Playing With Myself three stars mainly because over half the book was great but the later chapters fell a bit flat for me. 

★★★☆☆ Better than average; not a waste of time

Randy Rainbow's videos, however, deserve a strong, clever five star rating. Check them out — at least the two I cited above. This link, Rainbow Perfection - A parody tribute to Randy Rainbow, is a cute, non- biting, concise overview by Jonathan Jensen to be enjoyed as well.

Thanksgiving 2024

Thanksgiving Day in 2024 was low key and laid back. I did not even take any photos! There was no extra company to cook for - just Frank, Alex, and me for the day. Frank picked up Alex and took him bowling in the morning while I stayed home and gathered my thoughts. The menu was simplified. Turkey breast, stuffing, and sweet potatoes filled out the meal, along with biscuits. 

My baking was minimal.  I made two pumpkin pies while Frank and Alex were bowling. I relied on Pillsbury and Nestlé for biscuits and cookies. But remember - I took no pictures - so the packaging pictures must suffice.

We watched videos and did puzzles with Alex. He luxuriated in a couple baths here, since at St. Denis he only showers. He stayed overnight on Thanksgiving Day so we did not need to drive him to his home in the dark of night. The following Friday morning  Frank, Alex, and I went to see Moana 2. Alex stayed engaged the whole time and Frank got in a good nap. There was a lot of action but I had a hard time following the plot. Maybe I was expecting it to be more complicated than it was and so I was confused. I am glad I saw it, but Moana 2 will not be one of my favorite Disney movies. The outing was fun and relaxing, accompanied by a ton of popcorn that Alex positively inhaled. When we exited the theater, I am sure the follow-up cleaning crew could guess where we'd been sitting.  

Afterward, Frank and I took Alex back to St Denis, returned home, collapsed, and mutually agreed that putting the house back in order could wait another day. On Saturday, I leisurely put away Thanksgiving decorations (plush turkeys, various wood/cloth/metal/plastic pumpkins, and quilts) but did not yet bring out the Christmas stuff. We were blobs on the couch as we half-watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade which Frank had taped. I am thankful we marked the holiday occasion but did not wipe ourselves out in doing so. Gobble, Gobble to all.