So in the book, one of the ways the story concludes is by me learning about mindfulness techniques, and how to breathe, and how to ground myself, and how to sort of get my brain to a place where when I’m triggered by something that gives me anxiety I can tell my brain, “Nope, nope, nope, don’t go there. Don’t follow it down that dark path because, you know, nothing bad’s really gonna happen to you. You just have to learn kind of train your mind.”
So I’ve done cognitive behavioral therapy. I’ve done something called EMDR. I’ve done talk therapy. I’ve done several different styles of therapy, where I have learned all of these techniques. And so in this story, the characters have to give these reports in their fifth-grade classroom, and that’s something we really did. We really did something called an LDI, which stands for Lecture Demonstration Instruction.
So just the thought that you have to get up in front of your class and like talk about something. You get to decide what it is, but you still have to do it. You still have to give the oral report, and then demonstrate how you do the thing. So, you know, it’s nice to share yourself with your class, and it was nice to be able to give them a piece of myself, and learn from your classmates in the process, like when they tell you something about themselves you learn about them. You learn about yourself.
And so the story ends in a way that is, I think, pretty cool. And I think that some of the techniques in the book are things that kids can actually use, which makes me feel really happy that I’ve been able to pass that gift along to them.