Chris Kaman

ESPN Magazine has a fascinating article (paid registration required) about Chris Kaman, who plays center for the LA Clippers, is deeply religious, and suffers from ADHD. Naturally, it's the ADHD part that particularly interested me, as the article talks about both sides of the condition that has plagued me as well. ADHD is a blessing and a curse. In my case, it often makes it very difficult for me to "get into" a book I'm translating. But once I'm "in," the same brain wiring allows me to work extremely fast. And when I'm working super fast, I'm also at my best. Because then I'm in sync with the work, with the book, with its characters and language and world.

This quote, from Kaman's brother Mike, hit particularly close to home: "He was getting in trouble because he couldn't sit still. Working with hyperactive and ADD kids, I know that's their biggest problem. If you overcome that, they're like guided missiles. They chase their dreams with all the passion in the world."

Also of interest was talk of Ritalin killing Kaman's appetite. I've had some rather large weight shifts in my life. I was a fat baby, and at some point in my life, I became very slender. As an adult, I've been overweight, underwight, and overweight again. Could my five years taking Ritalin daily have had something to do with it? I'd guess the answer is yes, but I also know I have a tendency of blaming Ritalin, a drug I KNOW caused me more harm than good.

Kaman sounds a lot more hyperactive than I ever was. The AD (attention deficit) part has always been a bigger problem for me than hyperactivity (combined with the fact that I'm a lazy bastard, which negates a great deal of the hyperactivity). But I'm always happy to read about people who manage to leverage ADHD to their own advantage. Now I only need to find a way to make positive use of my Dyscalculia