I don’t think you can be a child in the US and not hear the tale of the tortoise and the hare.

A Hare was one day making fun of a Tortoise for being so slow upon his feet. "Wait a bit," said the Tortoise; "I'll run a race with you, and I'll wager that I win." "Oh, well," replied the Hare, who was much amused at the idea, "let's try and see"; and it was soon agreed that the fox should set a course for them, and be the judge. When the time came both started off together, but the Hare was soon so far ahead that he thought he might as well have a rest: so down he lay and fell fast asleep. Meanwhile the Tortoise kept plodding on, and in time reached the goal. At last the Hare woke up with a start, and dashed on at his fastest, but only to find that the Tortoise had already won the race.

Slow and steady wins the race.

It’s a statement of perseverance. Of not giving up, of maintaining a steady advance and you will overcome! Because the hare ran so fast and hard it burned itself out and needed a nap.

Burned itself out and needed a nap.

Well, it turns out, when you are diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood and start to understand the way your brain works, the story of the tortoise and the hare takes on an edge you had not expected.

My brain is the hare. I am the hare. And I have lived in a world that tells me the right way to work is as the tortoise, and it’s a box I have tried to fit myself in for most of my life. ADHD brains are known for burning bright but burning fast. Hyperfocus is called a “superpower”, but the thing about revving and speeding the engine is that it burns the fuel much faster, so that means that my brain sprints and then needs a nap, just like the hare.

There are a lot of hares like me too. We didn’t sprint out front because we are arrogant, we did because that’s how our minds work. And because we sprint, we need rest. It doesn’t make the hare lazy, it doesn’t make the hare bad or wrong. It makes the hare different. If the hare and the tortoise worked together, then maybe that story could teach a different lesson.

A Hare was one day wishing it could cross the field to get to a patch of strawberries. A Tortoise ambled upon him in his gloom. “What is it?” asked the Tortoise; “There are strawberries at the edge of this field,” said the Hare. “And I do not have the energy to get to them.” The field grass was tall and the Hare could only clear a small patch before becoming exhausted, when all the grass would spring back up. “Oh, I see,” replied the Tortoise, who was also hungry, but too low to the ground to push through the weeds. “What if we worked together?” The Hare was interested, "let's try and see!” When the time came both started off together. The Hare crushed the weeds underfoot as far as he could go, was soon far ahead and needed a rest: so he came back to the tortoise, and climbed upon its shell to fall asleep. Meanwhile the Tortoise kept plodding on, his path eased greatly by the Hare’s hard work. In time they both reached the goal, the Hare sprinting on to clear the trail and the Tortoise to carry the exhausted Hare on its back. At last the Hare and Tortoise had made it, to the patch of strawberries and they ate together, knowing that their hard work and cooperation had paid off.

Sometimes it pays to work together and become each other’s strength to achieve a common goal.

To me, this should be the story of the Tortoise and the Hare.