Technolandy

Day 145 (of 2024/25) Another comic book share? Just Roll With It – RPG vs OCD… great book by Veronica Agarwal @wisbagram & Lee Durfey-Lavoie @DurfeyLee

Terms to note: RPG = role playing game – fabulous for imagination and critical & creative thinking (along with communication and exploring identity – both personal and community)

OCD = obsessive compulsive disorder – but not really the best term… ‘disorder’ rubs me the wrong way, I like neurosis better, but I’ll defer to others… – it is identified by cycles of uncontrollable and recurring thoughts (obsessions), repetitive and excessive behaviours (compulsions) or both. Cuz the brain likes to be intrusive into itself… 

Fabulous book shared to me by my oldest girl (her masters has had her doing a lot of look at the value of comic books…) The artistic story with Veronica Agarwal going through her own ‘naming of her monster’ of OCD – and how naming it helped her identify different ways to take ‘it’ on and to hopefully show one reader a pathway… a journey to mental well being is personal, not ‘fitting’ a diagnosis perfectly. Rarely are any a ‘textbook case’ – more like guidelines than actual markers… 

And I ‘get’ Lee Durfey-Lavoie’s share that middle school was miserable. So many go undiagnosed with depression, anxiety, adhd, etc for so/too long. As educators, we really hope that every student will ‘find their way’ and ‘find their people’ as they navigate school, but as much as we wish otherwise, not everyone has fond memories of school… not even today….

But a timely share for today because it does loosely parallel an initiative I have undertaken this year – an introductory D&D group – the best rpg option out there (though I’m hoping the PRPL will present Coyote & Crow at our upcoming school comic con…

Love the use of the D20 as ‘the’ decision maker. Reminded me of a Donald Duck comic book that introduced “flippism” – making decisions based on the flip of a coin. Also appreciated the subtle use of repetitions and how easy it is for concepts like ‘perfectionism’ to be both a blessing and a curse. 

April has been Autism Awareness Month and it is always a good reminder that there are many ‘cousins’ of autism that include OCD… Anxiety… Depression… Deep Thinking… Decision Paralysis… neurosciences is awesome as no brain seems to be quire the same as each other!