Where oh where do I begin! This loveable larrikin of a cyclone lives with his amazing wife, three delightful children, two loyal hounds, and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Like many boys with ADHD, as a child Matt developed an unfortunate understanding about himself. Matt was “the naughty boy”. His science teacher once said to him, “you’d be the first person I’d invite to a party but get out of my classroom!” This bittersweet recollection perfectly demonstrates societal values towards boys with ADHD: hey you’re a cool kid BUT we don’t have room for people with an extreme zest for life here. (Isn’t it funny how the word ‘but’ miraculously diminishes the value of any words that appear before it?) But let’s unpack why Matt would be the first person invited to the party.
Matt became uncharacteristically quiet when I asked him about his atypical superpowers. After pausing to come to terms with the idea that he was expected to recognise his strengths, Matt shared that his superpower is his ability to connect with people from broad walks of life. “Kindness” he followed on with, emphasising its simple accessibility, “it doesn’t cost anything”. Although Matt struggles to find his keys, phone, wallet, and a positive lens when looking inwardly, he is the King of finding that positive lens when he looks at others. He’s got a large and diverse group of friends, many of which you can sense their identification as social misfits. Yet, Matt makes everyone feel free to express their genuine selves; they can put camouflaging like social chameleons on hold for a while. To have such an effect, it’s obviously not hard for others to recognise Matt’s superpowers. After a five-minute conversation with him about his wife, children, parents, and siblings, you can appreciate the potentially infinite depth of his admiration and loyalty to those around him.
So, there you have it. The naughty kid who couldn’t conform to the classroom rules is now thriving at life. Super-Humanity-Fanboy has a very special family, a group of devoted friends, his own successful small business, frequent adventures, and can still party like a twenty-something year old!
