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  • Book Club Discussion Part 2: What’s Your Relatable Moment?

    Posted by deann-r on January 19, 2023 at 9:12 am

    It’s been great hearing from those of you who’ve read The First Thing About You. Your reviews have been spot on. Today I want to talk about relatable moments. This book is chock full of them. Are there any in particular that stick out to you? For me the biggest one that I could relate to is when Harris got sick. I too try to deny when I’m coming down with something. I’ve also seen that panicked look in someone’s eyes when they’re trying to help but don’t know exactly how. Somehow they do it anyway. At least they did in my case and for Harris. The only thing missing from my experience was the thc vape pen and caregiver that went awol. Although I have had less than reliable caregivers. Anyway, what did you relate to?

    alyssa-silva replied 1 year, 8 months ago 2 Members · 3 Replies
  • 3 Replies
  • alyssa-silva

    Member
    January 19, 2023 at 6:23 pm

    School system woes, unwilling-to-accommodate teachers, lack of skilled nurses, getting sick— I related to it all. Reading the book felt like a bumpy trip down memory lane from when I was Harris’s age. There were many roadblocks to get through high school but it was a great experience overall.

    • deann-r

      Member
      January 25, 2023 at 10:13 am

      I’m kind of surprised by that. When I went through school it seemed like teachers were willing to accommodate for the most part. I don’t think they always knew what to do with me or how best to accommodate. Heck I got out of gym class and was allowed to substitute it with playing video games.

      I do remember accessibility being an issue. To get out of the building I’d have to snake my way against the flow of traffic through many narrow hallways. Fire drills were interesting. How did they handle that at your school?

  • alyssa-silva

    Member
    January 30, 2023 at 11:41 am

    Oh god. Every time I hear the words “fire drill,” I get a chill down my spine. My school was under construction all four years I was there. Besides the fact that the elevators were always broken down as a result, the construction always triggered the fire alarms to go off for various reasons. If I was on the second floor, the plan was for me to wait in a room until a firefighter came for me which was totally unsafe. Basically, if the building was on fire, I’d go down in flames too. So, my assistant would carry me down the stairs instead, and a random firefighter was required to carry me back up. As fate would have it, I’d always be on the second floor when the alarm went off. I’m officially traumatized by sweaty firemen. ????

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