Sorry I haven’t had the time to write as much as I would like lately. The new book has captured a lot more of my time than I thought it would and now that it is near completion, I really don’t have a clue what to write about at the moment. Hopefully, that’s just a phase? Have you finished a major project and then kind of wondered around a while wondering what to do next and it seems as though there’s nothing else to do? That’s kind of where I am at.

For the new book Joan and I wanted to include a few pictures for very specific places within it. You get to see a selection we are considering in this post. Please tell us which one’s you like best. We want you to have a part in this book. Next week we reveal the completed cover, which was accomplished with the assistance of members’ suggestions!

The book Adult ADHD can be Sexy is about relationships, intimacy and what Joan and I have learned together in order to make our relationship continuously better for both of us. We delve into some unexpected, not so much talked about places. Although I have written most of the content, Joan has had a major impact and her support has been essential – I even convinced her to write a chapter! It’s a delicious treat.

To give you a better idea of what you’re going to find in this book, over the last year I have published parts of more than a few of the chapters in blog posts and those parts have become some of the most popular blog posts I have ever published, two of them in particular have spread all over the web! However, I am not going to tell you which articles I am referring to – you’ll have to read the book to discover which ones! Oh, and yes, I know you all are very good guessers!  

Please pick one or two of the photos that you like best to be included in the new book. You can comment, private message me on the ADDer World Network or email me, if you prefer.

Photos are by the wonderful model / photographer Catalina Magee

B:

C:

D:

E:

F:

G:

 Here’s a late add that we are also considering:

H:

Thank you for taking part in the new book!

~Bryan

   Send article as PDF   

Central Station Amsterdam

Joan and I spent a wonderful clear day in Amsterdam on Saturday. We had a great time and were relieved to have such splendid weather. The day before, while we were in Utrecht, it had rained the entire day. Saturday started out a little drizzly too, but by the time we reached Amsterdam the weather had cleared and the sun was breaking from the clouds.

Van-Gogh-Museum

Joan is an art history buff and the museums are always on our agenda. We have visited Amsterdam several times in the past because my family, on my mother’s side, is from Holland. This time, though, other than the Van Gogh museum we didn’t really have any other plans and spent the day walking through the city. It was great because we got to see several sites we usually do not come across.

Madame Tussaud Amsterdam

One of those sites was “The American Bookstore”. It was a delight exploring the bookstore and we found two books I was interested in “The Dip” by Seth Godin and “The Disorganized Mind” by Nancy Ratey

The picture below – Nancy’s book on the left and Seth’s on the right – Joan’s holding them in the window. Thanks Joan!

The American Book Store in Amsterdam

It was quite an unexpected delight coming across Nancy’s book because I was just talking to her this last week. Her book is a vital benefit to the ADDer community and I will be reviewing it here in the next couple days for you. I am sure she will be delighted to know I found it in Amsterdam of all places. That was indeed a fortuitous experience finding this book store for the first time and Nancy’s book! In a previous post I mentioned that I had found another one of Seth’s books in Frankfurt Germany, so this might be becoming a fortunate habit.

Here are a few more photos from our enchanting trip:

Joan in front of the Magna Plaza Shopping Center Amsterdam

Canals of Amsterdam

Bike Parking Everyone Rides Bikes in Holland!

Rembrandt's Night Watch

It was a fun day!

~Bryan

P.S. Stay tuned for The Bryan Code for everyone who has dreams, aspirations and hope. Make sure you subscribe to this blog for more information to come. This is a very exciting time – indeed.

   Send article as PDF   

Oh, this is great fun! Don’t you think? Living with someone who has ADD or ADHD? Oh, you don’t think so? C’mon it can be fun—yes, it can also be frustrating, weird at times and just plain ridiculous, even scary and sometimes quite sad. But, hey, your life will be anything except boring!

We ADDers can be charming characters; we can excite you, enthrall you and make you believe you are the only person on earth worth being around. And if we are spending all of our time with you, then hey, you’ve got some charm yourself.

I have been married twice. I am happily married to Joan who knows I have ADD and she has found ways to get along with me and my ADD and she has helped me become a better person. I will talk more about our relationship in a moment…

My first wife did not know I have ADD and that’s because I had not yet been diagnosed. My behavior was inexplicable and seemingly inexcusable at times. Even with diagnosis, much ADD behavior is inexcusable, but I have already explained how awareness makes a difference, this article is about relationships with an ADD partner. A relationship needs sugar and spice and everything nice, but a relationship with an ADDer probably has more spice than the rest. We can become bored easily and it takes a dynamic character to keep our attention. This is my experience. Living with me was emotionally devastating for my ex-wife and although our life together had some redeeming qualities, overall it was a building volcano. She deserved better. 

I don’t get along well with being told I need to clean this or that. I don’t get along well with being told that the way I am doing it is wrong because it does not conform to some rule. I don’t like to be told I am overdue with doing this or that, even if it is true. I don’t have a problem with those things if I am being paid (incentive), but in a relationship I absolutely abhor it! That’s the thing about being married or befriending an ADDer, other ways must be found to do things together and get things done together, especially things that are tedious and just plain not fun. Criticism towards an ADDer and his or her traits can be disastrous! Beware of this, even constructive criticism can be detrimental. Positive Redirection is far more effective and appreciated.

I do not have all the answers to living with someone who has ADD or ADHD, even ADDers are unique, but I can tell you a bit about what has made my relationship with Joan such a treasure. She is a very well educated woman who has insight that is absolutely remarkable. She knows things I didn’t expect or know myself and is as highly creative as I am, if not more so in some ways. I might have a problem paying attention to certain things, but she doesn’t and she knows how to make a point. She has made some very attention grabbing points while I have been with her just to get my notice and some of them have been so extreme that I just had to shake my head in wonder and yes, sometimes disbelief. She caught on to what makes me tick very early in our relationship and knew right away when I was drifting my attention and she got it back with her own creative, ingenious and sometimes radical ways. Both of us have had to modify such behavior and become better people for each other. It was not easy or even pretty at times, but it was certainly worth it.

Before I was diagnosed with ADD Joan would start something, washing dishes, clean or create something and ask me if I would help her. A simple request and somehow in her own way she would make the chore exciting and not a chore. We have laughed, we have cried and we have held each other in moments of discouragement. The key is we are there for each other even when the chips are down or if everything is going our way. Commitment is the key, understanding is the key, love is the key and accepting the truth is key. There is no single answer for making a relationship with an ADDer successful, but one thing I can say for sure is that compassion, understanding, being inventive and seeking help are things which have a positive influence. It’s not a one way street, both partners must make efforts. I read a lot about how to get along with an ADD ADHD partner and sincerely, ADDers must take steps to get along as well. Being stubborn and refusing to recognize the reality of a situation can not only be detrimental, it is foolish. ADD ADHD is a reason, which can be improved through awareness, but using ADD ADHD as an excuse is inexcusable!

Relationships are about love, connection and communication. Some relationships just don’t work out and we can blame them on whatever we want, but if two people are not meant to be together then any kind of idea or suggestion could just prolong the inevitable. However, using ADD or ADHD as an excuse, really is just an excuse to continue certain innate habits without any effort of adjustments, because, knowing ADD or ADHD is a reason, a valid reason, which can be improved upon, gives us opportunity and the ability to improve. Yes, we can improve—maybe we can’t fully change and there is no cure, but I truly believe that when there is a will, there is a way–I have been through the horror, I have felt and lived the pain and my partners, family and friends have felt it too. There is such a saying as meeting halfway and that’s what we have to do, learn about ourselves, learn as much as possible about ADD ADHD and seek the help we need and strive to be better. Most of this goes for everyone, not only us ADDers. I truly believe that when you are with the right person and the desire is strong enough, all excuses go out the window and ways suddenly are found to work on improvement and new, positive habits. That’s something which is unique to ADD ADHD above most other disorders, a mental effort through support groups, ADD ADHD education, therapy and a host of other supportive measures can be employed. Most partners will help, if the ADDer is willing to help him or herself too, it is a matter of love and companionship and togetherness.

I know all about struggle, I have been down, I have been severely degraded, I have been chastised and ridiculed and misunderstood and I have been stubborn to a fault, and so yes, I know how difficult it is to change, but it is of the utmost importance to put the effort forth to try. The effort to try can be everything! Awareness and acceptance is imperative. Learn all that you can. Nagging, complaining and just being upset all the time will destroy any relationship in the long run and sometimes in the short run.

The crazy thing about having ADD or ADHD for some strange reason, the partners of ADDers get a lot of criticism too. Such as—why don’t you change him or her? Why do you allow him to do that? Why do you stay? Can’t you do better? You are at fault, he or she wasn’t like that before you came along (maybe traits weren’t as noticable)… and the list goes on and on and on, sometimes this part of the relationship can be just as difficult or more so.

It is not easy to be married to an ADDer, but it can certainly be worth it. Joan doesn’t like flying and I don’t really like heights, but that did not stop our love from whisking us away on a trip to Vegas to get married! The point is, it took our personal efforts and love and caring and understanding to get us there. The middle info might not be the stuff of stories and celebration, but it is there and helped us become who we are–together.

There are valid reasons and there are excuses, it’s important to understand and realize the difference and that’s what really builds a relationship between any two people, in my humble opinion.

~Bryan

   Send article as PDF   

Life with my ADDer

By: Joan F. Hutchinson 

Itʼs definitely like being on a magical mystery tour when you live with a person who has undiagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD. ADDers like Bryan desire constant excitement, positive reinforcement, and acceptance for their extraordinary talents as well as their limitations. At first living with Bryan was both scary and exhilarating; it felt like driving at high speed into a glistening, dense fog, not knowing what to expect, but trusting that the fog would clear and reveal a wondrous path ahead for both of us.

My husband, Bryan, was recently diagnosed with ADD after we had been together for two years. His ADDer traits, the positive and the negative were always present in our relationship, although we did not know why he responded to situations and acted the way he did at first. I already accepted him completely for who he was from the beginning. However, since he was diagnosed with ADD over a year ago, there has been a remarkable change in his attitude and behavior, which has changed our lives for the better.

We were drawn to each other from the first moment we met, and have been inseparable ever since. Our first date was electric and surreal for both of us. After we had dinner, we started running and chasing each other around downtown. I got way ahead of him and crossed a very high bridge connecting two buildings and spanning four lanes of traffic. When I turned back to see him, he was standing on the opposite end of the bridge smiling and anticipating my return. Instead of returning, I asked him to walk towards me, focus on my eyes, and meet me in the middle on the bridge. Slowly, he began to cross the bridge towards me. I ran to him just before he got to the middle, took his hand in mine, and whisked him across to the other side. We laughed after we crossed, and then he admitted that he was terrified of heights and that he would have never considered going near that bridge before that night.

Our relationship has been a wonderful intense journey of personal awareness for both of us since our first date. I did not know he had ADD when we met, but I did know that I fell in love with his highly creative spirit, his individuality, and his unique way of processing the world around him. I loved that he was brilliant at anything he chose to focus on, whether it be his job, his world class pool playing, or our relationship. Unfortunately, there were also challenging times in our relationship, before he was finally diagnosed with ADD, when he could not focus on anything that did not interest him, became disorganized, did not connect with others, or chose to daydream instead of living in the actual moment. We didnʼt know why he was the way he was, but that he had always been like that since he began school as a child. I encouraged him to talk to a professional about his inconsistent behavior and inability to focus on seemingly mundane tasks.
 
Since he has been diagnosed with ADD, we have a better understanding of his innate behaviors. I admire his awareness of his ADD and that he strives daily to modify the negative traits, as well as fully embrace the positive traits of his ADD not only for his own personal success, but also to ensure the success of our relationship.  
 
Living with my brilliant ADDer today is a magical tour de force, minus all the mystery. 
 
Joan Faith

   Send article as PDF   

I wondered who I could write about for this New Year’s article to really highlight ADD ADHD as something viable, something valuable, –something real and something to be, yes, to be cherished. The struggles are real and the stigma can be devastating, but there is so much more to it than that, so much indeed.

Who better to demonstrate the brilliance of human life and the positive abilities ADD ADHD bring to the world and the people it touches?

Enter: K E V I N  W A L L

~

Kevin Wall has ADHD.

“Kevin is an extraordinary guy,” Al Gore told Fortune magazine. “He has limitless energy and creativity.”

Emmy Award Winner. 
Producer and/or distributer of over 300 Major Live Concerts with:
Al Gore – Madonna – Alicia Keys – Lenny Kravitz – The Police –  Bob Dylan – Eric Clapton – And so, so many more!

Kevin wall has in one way or another produced, distributed and helped create such extraordinary awareness campaigns such as: Live 8, Live AID, Pink Floyd at the Berlin Wall (yes indeed), and concerts to free Nelson Mandela.

Kevin Wall has ADHD.

Kevin Wall’s participation with Al Gore and the LIVE EARTH event was so moving to him, that he even gave up his Mercedes Benz for a hybrid GREEN car!

I have thought about it and I see a correlation between ADD ADHD and these benefit concerts, especially concerts like Live Earth. So many people are in denial that the Earth needs help, that the environment is in danger and we should do something about it. The same goes for ADDers (those with ADD or ADHD), so many people are in denial that ADD ADHD exists, that it can be debilitating which brings with it depression and suffering, or that it can be a creative outlet of magnificent and positive proportions! Awareness and understanding is the key to improving anything.

Kevin Wall is the quintessence of using innate ADHD traits for the betterment of mankind, bringing forth an awareness of what is vitally important to the masses. The Earth’s environment affects all of us and with ADD ADHD diagnosed in a significant portion of the population and millions estimated to be undiagnosed with ADD ADHD; this too affects all of us!

I would love to meet this man, shake his hand and tell him personally what an inspiration he is, not only to me, but really, to the masses, all of us!

How does Wall keep track of all the details? He says it helps that he has ADHD. “I have a hard time micromanaging,” he says, “but I tend to know all the top-line information, and I can connect the dots. That’s a positive attribute of ADHD.” Wall isn’t guessing about his condition; his wife, Susan Smalley, a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles, discovered the genes for ADHD.
From an article by Fortune Magazine

“Although ADHD is still classified a disorder because of the challenges individual’s face with it, I’m more convinced everyday that it is a way of thinking and processing the world that is so beneficial to humanity, we must turn our attention to it. – When I met my husband at age 15, I knew I had found my soul mate, the person with whom I would spend my life.”

Dr. Susan Smalley 

Having ADD or ADHD does not mean you are alone, it does not mean you must be lost, it does not mean you cannot succeed or create wonderful things, it does not mean others will not care. You are a human being with value and great talents and traits within you!

Happy New Year’s and Best of all my Wishes!

~Bryan

   Send article as PDF   

Here we are, born to be kings,
We’re the princes of the universe,
Here we belong, fighting to survive,
In a world with the darkest powers,
And here we are, we’re the princes of the universe – Queen

Are you the most important person to you? Are you the only one you think about all day? When you go out to buy Christmas presents do you think of what others would like to have, or do you think of what you would like to give them, or better yet, what you would prefer to have? Do you interrupt others questions with questions of your own that concern you? Do you interrupt in general before others have expressed all they have to say on a subject? Do you consider the ramifications of something before you know the complete story? Do you think you know how a movie is going to end before you have seen it? Do you judge a book by its cover? Do you have an opinion about everything and you believe your opinion is always the right opinion? Do you…

I think you know where I am going with this… right?

Okay, if you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above questions, then it is official. We need to talk and we need to talk about me, myself and I! It’s not all about you, it’s just not and it’s not all about me either—even though I would prefer it to be. It is about being the Center of the Universe.

We (you and me) tend to think we are the end all, be all and even though we probably should be, we are not. Don’t tell that to Simon Cowell, he really does think it’s all about him and you’re not going to convince him otherwise! And who is going to convince him otherwise? I mean, he does make a living at it! Okay, maybe we should hand it to him; he has it figured out, but since we are not rich because of our inconsiderate selfish egos, let’s analyze ourselves. I love doing that—it’s all about me after all… sorry… moving on…

Here is a clue I discovered recently: It’s about the BIG picture. It is not all about me, it’s not all about you and it is not all about any one single person in the Universe. Together we make up the Universe, separated we just decorate the sky like stars, some sparkling brighter than others alone, some grouped together, some way off in the distance. As much as it pains me, I am not the Center of the Universe. Maybe if I write that some more, I will believe that? I am trying hard, really, I am.

We miss social cues, you and me. We miss those things others seem to understand so clearly, we miss the meaning behind the meaning and we just can’t read between the lines to save our lives, or our careers, or our education, or our relationships. We are the Center of the Universe and everything revolves around us.

So here’s my point and as much as it pains me to write this, I have to. The only way you and I are going to make it and overcome our self-centered ways, is to realize that we are being self-centered. It might not be any fault of our own, but if we are tired of missing the cues of others and just plain old not getting along with others, we have to step out of our comfortable sense of self. I mean that sense of self we insistently think about. Me, myself and I.

We start thinking about ourselves from the earliest age, we are just crawling and it is already all about us. We are distracted, we are impulsive and we have difficulty focusing on those things ‘others’ want us to focus on. But, get this, if ‘we’ (you and me) become interested in something we develop what is called “Hyper-Focus”, it is not hocus pocus, it really works, but only on what our mind wants it to work on, not what ‘others’ want it to work on. Taking all this into consideration, we are seemingly, no, we really are predisposed to be the Center of the Universe!

If you and I want to have good relationships, good sex, love and a good job, we have to step out of our comfortable place within our Universe. We have to realize that we are not the center of all that is and could be. We have to take what others say and do and want into consideration. We have to stop asking ourselves why can’t I, why shouldn’t I, and what about me questions. We have to step out of the box and listen to what others are saying, get opinions from others and not simply rely on our own opinion, because believe it or not, this is going to be hard, we are not always right, our thoughts are not the only consideration. Take the time to just pay attention to others. Take the time to ask others how they feel and ask why they feel that way, ask why they formed that opinion.

Okay, that’s it for today. I am going to have Joan read this article. She went and bought cookies for me yesterday and she ate them all! Even the double chocolate one that I was just eating a bit at a time, savoring, half of it was left and she ate that too! Man! What about me???

~Bryan

   Send article as PDF   

I just read a wonderful article by Dr. Susan Smalley and I thought it would be nice to share it with all of you, my loyal and supportive readers here at Adder World.  She is not only a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA, she is also a very supportive wife of an Adder who views and understands ADD ADHD to be a gift and not simply a disorder.

“This is pretty much the pattern of life I have experienced with my husband whom I met when just 15 years of age (I’m now 52). He is a person of experience, he lives life to its fullest; he cherishes each moment, rarely thinking of the past or future, and he is full of Ideas.”

“Although ADHD is still classified a disorder because of the challenges individual’s face with it, I’m more convinced everyday that it is a way of thinking and processing the world that is so beneficial to humanity, we must turn our attention to it.”
Susan Smalley

Check out Susan’s article, it offers a positive perspective about her husband and ADHD.

Her husband, Kevin Wall (an Adder), thought up ‘Live Earth’ and created it with Al Gore.

~Bryan

   Send article as PDF   

Hello everyone and welcome to Adder World, it is a fine Sunday morning and the sun is shining brightly outside—at least in this part of the world. Yesterday my wife and I had a unique and wonderful day in Frankfurt, Frankfurt Germany! We went to Frankfurt for a reason, a very special reason and I am going to tell you a little about that and I am going to tell you of a few things we discovered in Frankfurt which related perfectly to my Adder nature and how things just seemed to happen that I wanted to happen, but I wasn’t really thinking of happening—at least not in Frankfurt Germany. Ah, the Law of Attraction with Positive Thinking and the Power of Optimism does incredible things and it works. If you have been reading my Blog, then you know what I am talking about. This is going to be a rather long article today, so, I recommend getting a nice, pleasant cup of coffee or tea and settling in for an Adder story of Inspiration, Motivation and Optimism… are you ready? Then let’s go… if you like you can count the type-O’s, because I won’t remove them or even consider them—I am in the perfect Adder mode of Hyper-Focus and I don’t have anywhere to be for, well, the whole day—I am yours!

The reason Joan and I traveled to Frankfurt was the Schirn. Have you heard of it? It is a world famous Art Exhibition Museum in downtown Frankfurt and the current art exhibition is of interest to my wife (and now me)—as I have mentioned before, my wife is an Art Buff—she loves art, especially abstract art. The current exhibition is: TURNER HUGO MOREAU THE DISCOVERY OF ABSTRACTION. I admit I personally was not that interested in this art exhibition; however, I was very interested in seeing my wife enjoy what she loves. I also love it when I do and see things new to me and yesterday I discovered a pleasant and amazing surprise that abstract art is very interesting to me too and it played a bit with my mind. It’s not easy to get my attention; you know that and this art form captured my attention—I even got in trouble by one of the room monitors for getting too close to one of the displays! Jeeze, we Adder’s just can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Joan got scolded too, so I don’t feel so bad… these folks take their art very seriously and with good reason.

When I think about it, abstract art… hrmmm… let me think about that word for a moment ‘abstract’. What do I always praise about our Adder minds? Oh, that’s right, our ability to think in unique, ingenious, creative and oh, abstract ways! Go figure!

Yesterday was a very busy day in downtown Frankfurt, it was very difficult to make our way through the crowds and many times we found ourselves ducking into stores just to catch a breather. The Schirn Art Museum was also very active and it wasn’t easy to stand around and just enjoy the art—besides, we had gotten in trouble. We decided to leave and come back when there would be less people. The Abstract Art Exhibition is on display through January, so we are going to go back on a day during the week and not the weekend. Good idea, not that I thought of it before this Saturday though.

Ah, but all was not lost and we did enjoy the exhibition, no matter how limited our time was. As we made our way through the crowds of people on the downtown walkways of Frankfurt one of the stores we happened to duck into was a Godiva store. Oh treats! This wasn’t so bad a visit, we decided a few chocolate covered strawberries would make the day of crowds that much more enjoyable—who can’t make it through the crowds of Frankfurt in a chocolate delirium? Yep, that certainly helped. So far so good, we went back out and made our way through the crowds for a few more blocks and then we happened on to an Adder’s favorite store of stores: STARBUCKS! Oh joy! If you really want to get your focus-ON then I recommend Starbucks and no, Starbuck’s didn’t pay me to say that (write that) – ha and as a matter of fact nobody pays me for anything I mention on this Blog of mine—it’s all free-free-free—for now anyway, well, I get paid in love and adoration! Really, it’s true—I am rich with love and adoration—give me more! But, no money please, at least, not yet. I am having too much fun the way things are! That brings me on to an exceptional find in downtown Frankfurt—I took pictures, so you will know I am not making it up! My wife and I found a bookstore with books in English and we both found books that we decided to purchase and that was the tipping point of our day and you know what? It’s all because of the overwhelming influence of crowds!

For those of you have read my Positive Thinking articles you will know that I was assisted in creating my Blog by reading Seth Godin’s Blog! I have downloaded his PDF books, listened to his Audios and now I have purchased one of his books in a bookstore in downtown Frankfurt Germany and what’s more: it’s in English! I just could not believe I found his book “Small is the new big” in a German store—(where I didn’t expect to be yesterday). Seth Godin has taught me a lot and whether he realizes it or not he teaches in an exciting manner which is perfect for us Adders. If you haven’t checked him out—I mean, if you haven’t checked out his writings, work or anything he has done, I highly, highly suggest that you do! Many of you have written to me asking for book recommendations and most expect me to recommend books about ADD ADHD, but really, I don’t have many books about ADD ADHD that I would recommend to Adders. That might seem odd and before I get too far off track, let me just say I will put together a list of books which I have found helpful in my next article. For now, it’s about Seth Godin. When I spotted his book—how could I not spot it, I mean look at the cover, no Adder could pass that cover by and not go “huh?”! Oh, by the way, I mentioned this specific book in Positive Thinking part4 post1. Believe in Positive Thinking and the Law of Attraction now? We get what we think of the most, so it’s best when we make those thoughts positive ones… smile!

I just want to throw in here and I hope Seth doesn’t mind—I wrote Seth about my Article that mentioned him and he personally checked it out and wrote me back telling me that it was cool! Take a moment to think about that—Seth is a very busy infamous person who has one of the most popular Blogs on the internet, he has written bestselling books and he has assisted other world famous important people with their endeavors and he took a few minutes to check out my site and write back to me! How cool is that? I think it speaks clearly what this man is about and that’s being there for other people and taking time to make connections. Okay, enough of that, let’s get to the meat and potatoes… That Adder World is becoming a premier Blog for ADD ADHD folks to read and relate to? Yeah, that is fantastic if I say that, but really I want to talk more about our trip to Frankfurt—yes, it’s partly your trip now too!

After the book store and our… uhm… good luck? We decided it was time to head out of town and make our way back home. Oh did I tell you that Joan and I are Americans visiting Germany? Okay, well, I am telling you now and that’s a whole other story—long story, but fantastical in of its self. Yes, one day we will be back home in the good old USA, but for now I am at the part where we are getting back in the car and driving home.

When we finally arrived on the autobahn taking us away from Frankfurt my loving wife decided to read a bit from Seth’s book. She had not read anything of Seth Godin’s before and she was just being nice to read a little in the car and help pass the time—did I mention she has a wonderful voice which is perfect for reading? No? Well, now I did. This trip was just getting better and better, even in the car heading home. I mentioned how I discovered something new by learning about abstract art and finding it very interesting, well, (I like the word ‘well’) Joan found Seth’s book very interesting too and she loved an article in his book called “Artists care about the art” I am just glad she didn’t say turn the car around and head for the airport, because we had just passed the Frankfurt AM airport and it’s tough finding an exit to turn around once you’ve passed it. Yep, I think it’s amazing she didn’t make me take her to the streets of SoHo to buy art in NYC! Seth, please be careful with those articles—you might not be sure of what we can do with that story, but I assure you my wife can find something to do with it and yes, she did want to hear it! Nice!

Okay, that was our day in Frankfurt and we had a wonderful trip back home reading Seth’s book and I am going to quote some memorable words Seth wrote that will prove to you how valuable his book is to us Adders:

“Warning: If you want a narrative and lots of research, you’re in the wrong place. But I’m betting you don’t need another dense business book. What you need is a small prod or perhaps a friendly whack. And maybe a few ideas you can really run with. Have fun.”

 “Don’t read this book all at once.”

“If you’re like most of the people who read my blog or come to the talks I give, you’re looking for a spark, something to ignite your energy and get you started doing what you already realize is going to work”

“The ability to change fast is the single best asset in a world that’s changing fast.”

“You’re smarter than your boss or your friends or your organization believes.”

“—what is your job description? Is it a hopeful, optimistic, powerful document that gives you permission to explore new opportunities and to get something done?”

“Every situation has a silver lining…”

-Seth Godin “Small is the new big”

That’s it for today. I hope you have enjoyed reading about our trip and whenever you get the time do check out some abstract art and give Seth’s book a read while drinking some Starbuck’s ’focus’ latte! I don’t know if that’s a real drink or not, but it works for me! I call mine doubleshot.

Cheers!

~Bryan

   Send article as PDF   

Recently, well a while back… a year ago? I can’t remember how far back, but it wasn’t that far back. It was October of last year… I think. Anyway, I try not to ramble on my Blog, but I can’t really remember the exact date. Okay, I will try this again—sometime last year my wife and I took a trip to Amsterdam. It was a fantastic trip and although I have been to Amsterdam a few times I have never actually visited anything of relevance, unless I was having coffee.

My wife is an Art History buff, she loves Art, and she loves History. You get the idea. Being an Adder I get fascinated by the canals and fairly lost finding my way around all those cobblestone streets and alleys. I usually leave Amsterdam having seen nothing of relevance and having no memories worth talking about later. Hrmmmm… you might be wondering about that, but sincerely, I rarely take the time anywhere to see things of value beyond what I can see in front of me. I am the type of person who is always thinking about the next day or yesterday and hardly ever paying attention to today.

Yeah, I know I am an Adder and what I have described is typical and that brings me to what I really want to say: it is AweSomE to have such a supportive wife, who is patient and insures I get to see things I have never really considered before. During our trip to Amsterdam I was actually IN Rembrandt’s house! Yes, I was! And I learned a great deal about him, even if the most interesting thing to me was that he slept in a fairly large closet that had enough room in it for a bed—really, you have got to see that! I also learned how he created his sketches and why he chose certain subjects to paint, even why he created portraits of himself. Yes, he did paint himself. I think he used a mirror. It’s something I would do if I could draw.

Rembrandt’s house was very exciting, but then we went to the Van Gogh museum! Wish we would have taken a taxi to the Van Gogh museum; it was a very long walk, too long! I did not think I would enjoy the Van Gogh museum, but actually, it was very exciting. My wife, being the Art History buff that she is, shared with me her thoughts on Van Gogh’s art. Now, I know what you must be thinking, how boring that sounds… well, my wife can make anything sound interesting. I am serious, it takes a lot to keep me on track and attentive and my wife can do it with ease.

The moral of this article is that we Adder’s have a tendency to take trips, multiple trips to the same place and never see the sites. It’s great to have a wife who supports her Adder husband and insures he takes the time to see more than just the canals and cobblestone streets!

~Bryan

Us celebrating our day after taking in so much of Amsterdam! 

   Send article as PDF   

Joan wrote a wonderful poem for me. I am so enamored with her words and gesture that I feel compelled to share this poem with all of you and let you know that even Adders can have a wonderful, fulfilling and understanding relationship:

I love my Bry
Although betwixt his eye
There lies a sigh.
I love my Bry
Through the day and night
I love my Bry.

The way he says “e”
Is to me like the sea
Alluring, mysterious,
Inherently dangerous, and most delicious.
I love my Bry
Worthy to sail
Rightly to respect
In need of this voyager
Upon his vast richness of pleasure
I love my Bry

The way he smiles
Inspires me for miles
Of unsettled Blue Waves
Reaching my soul.
I love my Bry
For all the while that
He may choose due course
Toward the radiant sun
Of my horizon
I love my Bry.

Joan F. Hutchinson

~Bryan

   Send article as PDF