Month: May 2014

When Squirrels Attack: A Brutal Retaliation Against the Easily Distracted and Self(ie)-Obsessed

squirrel selfie

The Squirrel and ADHD – A Recipe for Laughter

As the punchline in many ADHD jokes, the squirrel is well known for it’s distractability factor. Part of that is because squirrels are everywhere.  And part of it is because…well, you really just can’t help but look when you see one (at least as an ADHDer); they’re intriguing, little performers. Having posted about the ADHD squirrel phenomenon pretty recently, I wouldn’t usually bring it back up (at least not so soon).

But This Selfie Story Changes Everything

This story on Buzzfeed couldn’t be ignored.  Brian Genest got distracted by the squirrel above while he was hiking…and decided he wanted to take a squirrel-featured selfie.

…which he succeeded in.

Squirrel Selfie Success

…but shortly thereafter, things took a turn for the worst.

Squirrel Selfie Gone Wrong

In a seemingly spontaneous assault, the squirrel pounced on Brian and proceeded to attack. Luckily, the word on the street (aka per the aforementioned credible sources) is that Brian and the squirrel both made it out of this horrific (somewhat hysterical – let’s be honest) attack alive (and uninjured).

Why Would a Squirrel Turn Like That?

My theory is that squirrels everywhere are tired of being blamed for our distractability (and, by default, our ADHD)…so they’re ready to fight back when they see it going down.  It’s about to get real.  This guy…this squirrel…is the leader of the revolution and this was his first (documented/viral) battle.

ADHDers Heed This Warning

So, I leave you with this…be wary of the squirrel that snags your attention.  Resist the urge to be distracted by the fun, furry, little creature.  As we’ve learned in this story, not all distractions are worth giving in to.  Sometimes they end in blood and tears (read: comical experiences that result in viral celebrity status and no significant injuries to write home about).

Side Note

I’m not really saying that Brian Genest is a fellow ADHDer…or that he was actually distracted by anything as a result of his encounter with the squirrel.  This post (and the story itself) is really just an opportunity to poke fun at the distractability (and countless jokes) that squirrels have provided to the ADHD community…well, probably since the beginning of time.

Step Out of Your OCD Comfort Zone (and Laugh at Yourself)

You have to be able to laugh at your (OCD) self.

I mean, I even labeled my label maker(s)…yeah, yeah, yeah, I have three.

ocd humor labeled label makerHumor is the key to life, my friends.  The ability to laugh can get you through a lot of sticky situations…and will probably get you a lot of friends, if that’s what you’re after.

The ability to laugh at yourself is rare, but I believe it’s one of the biggest tools of survival. It’s something you should strive to be able to do, if you can’t already.

If you’ve read any of my blog, you know I’ve managed to laugh at my ADHD, but that’s pretty easy.  I mean, my ADHD makes me quick witted, smart and creative (oh, and clumsy), hysterical things are bound to happen when it’s in charge.

On the other hand, my OCD tends to bring out my serious side.  The obsessive worry, the phobias, the panic, the need for certain kinds of order and the perfectionism?  Well, these symptoms don’t always lend themselves to having a sense of humor in the same way that my ADHD symptoms do.

Still, I can laugh about the fact that I’m in love with hand sanitizer (but I’m not gonna laugh if it’s not readily available) or that I have three label makers and that I feel the need to label them all.  These are quirky things and quirky things make me interesting (or, you know, weird, but whatever).  I guess they make me a character of sorts and it turns out that other people are entertained by my oddities.

It’s the whole, “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,” mentality.  If they’re all gonna laugh at me, I might as well get a kick out of myself, too.  If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.  All my life, I’ve been the one to make other people laugh, but I’ve also been told not to take life so seriously.  That last part is something I’m trying to work on and I figured some of you might benefit from doing the same.

When I stumbled on this collection of things that claimed it would freak out every OCD person, I had to play along.  And I’m not gonna lie to you, some of it was uncomfortable to see…and some of it, I would be impulsively driven to correct, even if it wasn’t my place to.

But, hey guys, we’re safe over here.  These are just pictures.  You can’t die from the complete disregard for straight lines, symmetry and perfectionism or the unfathomable labeling system for the lighting rigs.  Our OCD selves are all kinds of safe over here behind our computer screens (well, at least from the scenarios in the pictures), so go ahead and peruse.  Heck, consider it a kind of flooding.  It’s good practice…therapeutic even.

Best of luck, my friends.  Try not to look away…and seriously, go ahead and laugh…because none of it can hurt you.  And come on, that off-kilter, red window is pretty awesome (even though it might be photoshopped).

Step Out of Your OCD Comfort Zone and Laugh at Yourself