A couple of years ago, I saw this really cool t-shirt online. It was black with a white logo that looked just like the AC/DC logo. Except it said: AD/HD.

I begged my partner (at the time) to buy it for me online. (My own credit card had mysteriously maxed out several years ago). His answer? No dice. He was too suspicious of buying anything online (except from Amazon, which he bought from pretty much everyday, but this is a blog about MY issues, not HIS, so I’ll say no more).

Finally, someone gave me the shirt as a gift. THEN I got another one from the cool folks at TotallyADD.com (more about them later).

I started to second-guess myself about wearing it.  I mean – DUH! It’s not like I’ve hidden the fact that I have ADHD. People in 129 countries have read my blog; thousands have seen my magazine articles and heard my CBC Radio One documentary; and dozens of Canadians have seen my standup comedy about having ADHD (ha ha). So I’m definitely “out.”

Why was it so hard to wear the shirt, loud and proud, in my own town?

I guess it’s the immediacy of announcing you have ADHD to people you actually see every week, if not every day. People who, while they may not be your closest friends, are certainly your neighbors and sometime-drinking-buddies. People who DON’T know you very well, so may be more apt to judge, maybe…something like that. Don’t know. But I know it surprised me at how filled with trepidation I was to declare myself, publicly, where I live. There might be something to the idea that it’s easier to talk to strangers! (Not that I feel like any of US are strangers…heck – not any more!)

Chick A-D-D Online Store

Finally, a REAL ADHD gift!

Anyway, all this is a long-winded explanation about why I decided to go ahead and make my OWN t-shirts.

Humor has saved my life. Humor about ADHD has kept me sane. Wait, that’s probably not entirely accurate – but you know what I mean. I’d just started thinking about creating my own T-shirts, using humor from my own blog posts and stand-up comedy, when a visitor read one of my blogs and said, “Please make a poster out of this.”  This was the day before I launched my Chick A-D-D Online Store. (The poster will be on the shelves soon!)

This was my synchronistic notice from the universe. I decided to go for it!

My store is for those of you who, like me, are also looking for ways of empowering yourself while figuring out how to live with your ADHD. Having a sense of humor, being honest and open about my ADHD and its symptoms, and educating others, including my friends and family, the people who really care about me, have all been extremely empowering for me, and have opened up many important dialogues.

My website is called Chick A-D-D so I thought, why not wear my own T-shirt? So, for my fellow Chick A-D-D’s, and my fellow Canadian ADHDers, there are couple of T-shirts especially for you.

I’ve also got a water bottle with a slogan contributed by fellow blogger and ADHDer, Kelly Babcock, who you know from reading a guest post here at ADHD: from A to Zoë. Kelly, who was recently diagnosed, is an avid boater. When he offered to let me use his boat’s name for my water bottle, I was ecstatic. The slogan is: “ADD water.”

Anyway, please check out my store before Christmas and treat yourself to a very special gift. After all, we already have the gift of ADHD.

A.D.D. & loving it?! to air on 78 PBS Stations!

Patrick McKenna, Host, and Rick Green, Producer and Director, A.D.D. & loving it?!

On Nov. 15, 2010, 78 PBS affiliates have signed up to begin running ADD & Loving It?! at the end of November and all through December.

The documentary was recently nominated for a Gemini Award (Canada’s Television industry award – yes – we DO have a television industry!) for a fairly new category, “Cross Platform Non Fiction,” and has already won a New York Festivals Silver Award. Both CHADD and ADDA have endorsed the film.

A.D.D. & loving it?! is both fun to watch and informative. Produced and directed by Rick Green, Winner, CAMH Foundation 2009 Celebrity Transforming Lives Award and fellow ADDer, this film features tons of interviews with ADHD specialists including Dr. Ed Hallowell, co-author, Driven to Distraction; Dr. Margaret Weiss, Clinical Professor at University of British Columbia and ADHD researcher; Kate Kelly, ADHDer and author, You Mean I’m Not Lazy, Stupid, or Crazy? and many, many more.

The film is hosted by Comedian Patrick McKenna (from The Red Green Show) and follows Patrick through his own diagnosis. Patrick and his wife, Janis, share candid moments and insights on ADHD as it plays out in marriage, child-rearing and the lives of those with ADHD and those who love and support them. Hint: humor is definitely a key to success!

To see the full listing of PBS stations running the show, please click HERE. Also, the film is available for purchase HERE. It would make an excellent Christmas / holiday gift!

ADHD: from A to Zoë hits NUMBER 5 in Facebook’s TOP 50 Networked Blogs List for ADHD blogs!

Ok, so I’m blowing my own horn here. But I’m kinda proud of this: after only six months, ADHD: from A to Zoë hit the list at #8. As of this week, it’s NUMBER 5 on the TOP 50 for ADHD blogs.

Thank you SO MUCH to those of you have signed up to follow this blog on Facebook Networked blogs (you can do this by clicking on “Follow This Blog,” which appears in the Networked Blogs window on the left of my blog). And THANK YOU Psych Central for hosting and promoting my blog posts.

As a writer, knowing that people are actually reading my stuff is most gratifying. As an ADHDer who is struggling, learning, and coping with ADHD every day, knowing that others share my story and my struggles – and support and help me and each other – is even MORE gratifying! Thanks again, everyone!

Finally, don’t forget…

…to send in your “messy office” photo. THE DEADLINE IS FRI., NOV. 26!

In response to a reader’s comment to my post, ADHD Self-Coaching: Progress Report, I threw out this challenge:

Ok, guys: how many of you are brave enough to send me a photo of your own mess and crap?! There. The gauntlet has been thrown. (Boy, am I gonna regret this!!) How ’bout if I post the best (read: messiest) Top 10. And no cheating! I didn’t touch a THING before I took my confessional photo. You can send your photos to: zoe@zoekessler.com I’ll accept photos until November 26, 2010, and will post the Top 10 on Monday, November 29, 2010.

Get those cameras out, folks! May the messiest ADHDer win! lol

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    Last reviewed: 24 Nov 2010