I Have a Thing by Albert DeSimone

When I was a kid, my Mom used to call me her “little absent-minded professor.” The archetype of the absent-minded professor is well entrenched in our culture. He or she is the kind of person who can explain to the greatest detail something you couldn’t care less about while trying to figure out how to open a window. 

My specific neurodivergence is called ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). 

There was even a movie with an ADHD title, The Absent-Minded Professor. Released in 1961. The Absent-Minded Professor starred Fred McMurphy, a Hollywood staple for the father figure in many Disney movies. He was also the father in the television series My Three Sons. This program Jumped the Shark long before Fonzie (Henry Winkler) did on Happy Days. The writers decided to give Steve (Fred McMurphy) a stepdaughter named Dodie, who was played by actress Dawn Lyn. Dawn is Lief Garrett’s brother, who, sadly, nearly ruined his life by driving a Porsche 911 while intoxicated. He had a terrible accident, which severely hurt his friend Roland Winkler. Roland Winker is not related to Henry Winkler, but Roland is a neat name. It reminds me of the Warren Zevon song “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner.” Zevon had terminal cancer. Shortly before his death, he performed this song on the Late Show with David Letterman.

I’ll play along, but the thought of my having ADHD is ridiculous.