The Camporee
As we got closer to home, a car in front of us stopped to wait for a break in oncoming traffic. I stopped a safe distance behind. Seconds later, the rear windshield exploded, showering everyone with glass.
Hurricane Hermine
Being unfamiliar with hurricanes, my great grandfather and my grandmother’s brother, John went into the store to see what damage there was. The eye of the storm passed over Miami while they were still in the store. Realizing that the winds were too strong to simply walk back to the car, Abe took his six year old son under one arm and held a concrete block in the other hand as ballast, to stay anchored to the ground. That’s how he made his way back to his family.
Warming Up for the Inevitable
Avner had previously encountered an ADHD medication “generic equivalent” that gave him extreme side effects. The reaction was so violent that we filed a report with the FDA about the medication. Apparently several other patients had enough problems that the medication was removed from the list of generic equivalents for Concerta (a longer acting form of the same medication in Ritalin).
Spring Break Disaster
Still the attitude grew darker. Avner gravitated to violent video games. In fact he had migrated away from the social games that he played with friends at school. He was turning morose and there wasn’t a ready explanation, except adolescents. Everything that we thought we saw could be explained by teenage hormones or frustration with school work.
The Conversation
I suppose that context always makes the difference. Talking to Avner tops the list of important things I do, especially during this lockdown. Absent any other external stimulation, I find that engaging conversation has a nearly magical ability to restart cognition. It may be my own confirmation bias, but I don’t think so. Avner has a ravenous appetite for information and analysis. I love that aspect of his personality. We