Reflections //February 2025 : On Silence, Discovery, and Moving Forward
On Recent Silence and New Understanding
The gap between my last post and today isn't just a pause in writing – it's been a period of profound personal discovery. While establishing my voice here has been important, something more fundamental demanded my attention.
First, let me dispel any dramatic concerns: I'm healthy, my marriage is solid, and there are no major life changes like children on the horizon. What I've encountered is both more subtle and more transformative.
A Revelation in Three Acts
Act One began with year-end conversations—with my mentor, my direct manager, and former colleagues. We discussed career trajectories and performance, but something felt off. The mental clarity I'd always relied on seemed to be playing hide-and-seek.
Act Two found me in my therapist's virtual office, initially attributing these challenges to long COVID or the approaching milestone of 40 (an age where every minor discomfort becomes cause for a doctor's visit). His suggestion to consult both a psychiatrist and neurologist led to Act Three:
A diagnosis of ADHD.
The Initial Shock
I was, to put it mildly, gobsmacked. The image in my head of someone with ADHD didn't align with my self-perception. Yet over these past few weeks, initial disbelief has transformed into something approaching enlightenment.
Suddenly, the puzzle pieces of my life began clicking into place. My approaches to work, relationships, and daily challenges started making sense in a new light. I even found evidence in an old "How to Work with Me" document I'd written – breadcrumbs I'd left for myself without realizing their significance.
Finding Community
In this discovery, I've found something unexpected: community. There's a remarkable collection of brilliant minds who, like me, have struggled to fit into society's preference for conformity and homogeneity. Their stories, achievements, and challenges mirror my own in ways that feel both validating and inspiring.
A Note of Gratitude
Thank you for holding this space during my silence. Your presence here means more than you know. There's much more to explore about this journey – about neurodiversity, about the gifts and challenges of minds that work differently, about finding strength in our unique ways of being.
But for now, I've probably "ADHD'd" enough for one post. More to come, with clearer purpose and deeper understanding than before.
With renewed clarity,
Aaron
Books // Reviews
On StoryGraph, my reviews will feature more in-depth assessments and ratings. Here are the books that I took down in February in no particular order:
Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me ★★★★★
The Finnish Way: Finding Courage, Wellness, and Happiness Through the Power of Sisu ★★★☆☆
Now It All Makes Sense: How an ADHD Diagnosis Brought Clarity to My Life ★★★★☆
How to Thrive with Adult ADHD: The 7-Pillar Plan for Focus, Productivity and Joy ★★★☆☆
Vibes // Yola
My journey with Yola’s genre-bending, soulful sound began during the toughest times of the pandemic. I found myself taking long 4-mile walks through the city, craving fresh air to clear out the stale atmosphere at home. It was during one of these walks that my wonderful friend Ivey introduced me to Yola, and I was instantly captivated.
Throughout 2020 and 2021, her album "Walk Through Fire" became my absolute favorite, and I played "Ride Out In The Country” on repeat. I’ve been revisiting this album again and again this month.
I really hope you get a chance to enjoy this track with the windows down on those lovely, longer days ahead!
