An interesting confession...

Last night, I started this blog by choosing not to explain its title. However, in my life I am confronted by an everyday reality that has an effect on what goes on in my life, from my attention span to my mood. So it is now this morning and I choose to highlight address this issue publicly. I am basically "outing" myself...

The evening first started as I was deliberating a title for my blog. I chose "The Daily Adventures of the Absent-Minded Activist." As a member of the activist-intellectual tradition I must provide a brief study and definition of the origins of words I chose to utilize to come up with my blog's title, this is also known as an etymological study.

The word daily has the following definitions as defined by Google.com

occurring or done each day; "a daily record"; "day-by-day labors of thousands of men and women"- H.S.Truman; "her day-after-day behavior"; "an every day occurrence"

without missing a day; "he stops by daily"

a newspaper that is published every day

measured by the day or happening every day; "a daily newspaper"; "daily chores"; "average daily wage"; "daily quota"

day by day: gradually and progressively; "his health weakened day by day" wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

The following three definitions are provided for the word Adventure by Google.com

gamble: take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome; "When you buy these stocks you are gambling"
a wild and exciting undertaking (not necessarily lawful)
venture: put at risk; "I will stake my good reputation for this"
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Google.com provides one definition for Absent-Minded

1. Thinking profoundly and heedless of present circumstances or activities; preoccupied 2. tending to fail to remember. Rabble: 1.A tumultuous crowd; a mob. 2. The lowest or coarsest class of people.www.emse.fr/~yukna/HEW/FlatvocQuiz.htm

it is also interesting to note that they offer alternative definitions of "absent-minded professor"
which is a stereotypical phrase use to describe certain types of academics; the film "A Beautiful Mind" placed some spotlight on this issue, with some sensitivity and seriousness.

The absent-minded professor is a stock character of popular fiction usually portrayed as an academic with important information, but whose focus on their learning leads them to ignore their surroundings. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absent-minded_professor

Finally activist is defined in the following ways by Google.com


an individual who is extensively and vigorously involved in political activity, either within or outside the governmental systemwww.imuna.org/c2c/app_a.html

Ms. Kolb was a member of the Women's Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools during the 1958-59 school year when Governor Orval Faubus closed the public high school in Little Rock rather than proceed with desegregation.www.anythingarkansas.com/arkapedia/pedia/kk.html

A person who believes in or participates in direct action to make changes in government or social conditions by campaigning in public or working for an organization.warrensburg.k12.mo.us/adventure/allamerican/glossary.html

militant: a militant reformer
advocating or engaged in activism wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Activism, in a general sense, can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change. This action is in support of, or opposition to, one side of a controversial argument. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activist


So, does my etymological study assist you in defining who this absent-minded activist is. In, my brutally honest opinion it would not help me tw0-cents unless I had some biographical information about the author.

Well, I simply utilize the phrase "absent-minded" to shield the fact that I have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly referred to as ADD or ADHD in our culture.

The evening went on...and my finally a friend of a friend came over (This person's idenitiy shall remain confidential) The other day (Friday, January 6, 2006 to be exact) my friend of a friend said something about how people with ADD or AD/HD; have characteristics of Asberger's Syndrome (definition provided by Google.com "Asperger's syndrome (AS), is a pervasive developmental disorder commonly referred to as a form of "high-functioning" autism. Individuals with Asperger's are considered to have a higher intellectual capacity while suffering from a lower social capacity. The term "Asperger's syndrome" was coined by Lorna Wing in a 1981 medical paper. She named it after Hans Asperger, an Austrian psychiatrist and pediatrician whose work was not internationally recognized until the 1990s. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger's_syndrome) I found this was interesting. I chose to somewhat "out myself" by talking about my mother whose information can be found by visiting this link (Google.com is the shit by the way - meaning it is great), then later that evening I was featured in a book; A Bird's-Eye View of Life with ADD and ADHD: Advice from Young Survivors (Paperback) (more can also be found on Amazon.com )
While I am mentioning this I am alongside my mother featured on several websites...http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5889089/ or http://www2.uwsuper.edu/gcraig/drcraig/ADD%20Articles/5%20Evelyn%20Green%20and%20Perry%20Green%20Interview.pdf. So moving along in my adventure this past evening (January 8, 2006) I came across the book "A Bird's-Eye View of Life with ADD and ADHD: Advice from Young Survivors ."

Finally, at 2:50am this morning, I responded to an email amongst some of my colleagues in a peer mentoring program I work for on my college campus. I choose not to discuss this information for my protection and privacy. I do welcome written personal emails and questions. I provided an analysis of why we should discuss learning disabilities and mental health amongst our peers. It read as follows:

"The next issue I think we should disperse health information on is mental health and learning disabilities. The National Association for the Education of African American Children with Learning Disabilities publishes the following on there homepage "According to the National Institute of Health, fifteen percent of the U.S. population, or one in seven Americans, has some type of learning disability. (Click Here for LD Definition) These differences do not go away – they are lifelong – and yet are often undetected because they cannot be seen." I know from personal experience and various scholarly research studies that this is an issue that is facing African American college students and college students in general. This following information comes from the Journal of College Student Development in its May/June 2003 Issue "Students with learning disabilities are attending college at an increasing rate. Issues of suicide and mental health are also prevalent on college campuses. Despite what we may think about Suicide amongst black folk the following disheartening, however progressive research report from Former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher's office in 2001 indicates, "While the suicide rate for white teenage males fell somewhat between 1986 and 1997 the rate for African American male teens increased dramatically (7.1 per 100,000 to 11.4 per 100, 000). It is this alarming statistic that compelled psychiatrist and author Dr. Alvin Poussaint and freelance journalist Amy Alexander to write "Lay My Burden Down: Unraveling Suicide and the Mental Health Crisis among African Americans." This book addresses the rise in suicide in African-Americans. I think this would be more than an appropriate time to discuss mental health and learning disabilities information and issues amongst our mentees."

There are a couple of key people I need to thank in this process for starting my webpage/blog to become home to critical information and links to other significant information as it regards to African-Americans and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

The first deity, is God. If it were not for God on my side I have no idea where I would be, The next individual is my mother whose courage to speak and not be silent has transcended amongst the generations to me. My friend of a friend will continue to remain silent as I have not secured permission from her to use her name. She is the next person I want to thank...You are a strong black woman, devout Christian and a great friend. Finally, my boss, who will also remain nameless. Whom I best describe as a challenging professor, a caring administrator, and a dedicated mentor.

Thanks and Good Nite...
Perry