Steeven Says Stuff #12 - It's Time to Get Real!
Thank you for subscribing to Steeven Says Stuff, the newsletter dedicated to providing you with all the updates about me: Steeven R. Orr.
I’m a podcaster. I co-host The Superman Super Show with Ed Moore and I host Hither Came Conan, Growing Up Geek, The Comic Book Show, and so many more.
I’m also a husband, a father, a recluse, a writer, a neurodivergent, an introvert, a nerd, an expert at hyperbolization, and so much more!
Howdy!
This week’s newsletter is below.
THE INTRODUCTION BIT
Okay—Okay—Okay.
I know I said to expect these to drop each Wednesday, and today is Thursday, but…
I have no excuse other than to say that my neurological system ain’t typical.
In fact, you might say that my neurological system diverges from the norm.
More on that below.
But first:
The Superman Super Show Live Episode 41 has been scheduled for this Sunday, October 19, at 10:00 AM Central/Standard time.
This time around Ed and I will be looking at The Corinthville Caper, the second of four Superman stories in Superman 11 from 1941 and here’s a couple of panels from the story to get you all excited and stuff:
As always, you can watch live on YouTube and be a part of the action when you join the live chat and barrage us with questions and comments.
THE MAIN BIT
Okay, so lets talk a bit about how I can keep promising things and don’t deliver.
For example, I’ve published schedules for upcoming episodes and then didn’t end up hitting one date.
Also, just last week I said these emails would land every Wednesday, and here I am, one day late.
Now, above, I teased that such things might have to do with my neurodivergence and so I thought I’d spend this week talking about that.
I guess I should, of course, admit up front that I have both ADHD and autism which means I’m what some call “AuDHD.” It’s not an official term, but some folks use it.
In practice, ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) makes my brain chase shiny new things, struggle to stay focused, and act on impulse.
Autism (Autism Spectrum Disorder) means I naturally crave routines, repetitive activities, and orderly environments. Roughly 1 in 5 kids with ADHD also have autism, so hey, I guess I’m not alone in this chaotic combo.
Okay, so what does all that actually mean?
Well, on the one hand, my ADHD brain is always whispering “Look, a squirrel!” – I love novelty and often jump from task to task. On the other hand, my autistic side is screaming “Wait, schedule! Order! Routine!”
In fact, experts note this exact tug-of-war: people with ADHD seek novelty, whereas autistic people crave routine and structure. Having both can feel like a brain-wide contradiction: I hyperfocus on a hobby for hours, then suddenly abandon it and forget basic chores exist.
Let’s break it down:
Contrasting urges: My ADHD makes me spontaneous and easily bored by repetition, yet my autism wants me to stick to the same plan every day.
Hyperfocus vs distraction: I can become intensely absorbed in a fun project (hours melt away), but then lose all interest in it by the next week. It’s what some call being a “walking contradiction.”
Executive dysfunction: Planning and organizing are seriously hard. Making a detailed schedule sounds great to my autistic brain, but my ADHD executive functions often glitch – I lose or forget the to-do list, underestimate how long tasks take, or never actually start a chore.
Time blindness: I live in my own time zone. People with ADHD often have “time blindness,” meaning I genuinely can’t sense how long things take. If I think I’m spending 10 minutes on email, I might actually lose track of hours. (Hello, burnt popcorn dinners!)
These quirks combine into everyday chaos. For example, I might want to set an alarm and wake up at 7 AM (autistic craving for routine), but the moment the alarm rings, my ADHD brain hits snooze because something feels new or different and I ignore the plan. By afternoon, I remember the alarm only after forgetting lunch – a classic AuDHD maneuver.
Routine vs Spontaneity: I’ll promise myself a rigid work schedule, then impulsively scrap it for a new idea.
Time Warp: What felt like “just five more minutes” is actually fifteen minutes – or worse, hours (ADHD time-blindness at its finest).
Hyperfocus: I’ll zoom in on a task (say, reorganizing bookmarks) with tunnel vision, forgetting everything else – including the next deadline.
Planning Screw-ups: My mental calendar often pings too late. Instead of waking up at 7 AM to finish this newsletter by Wednesday, I barely realize it’s Wednesday morning by lunchtime.
Okay, so let’s connect this to why you’re seeing a Thursday newsletter after I promised Wednesday. (At this rate, I might as well have said Friday! 😅)
The AuDHD truth: I wanted a strict routine (newsletter on Wednesdays), but my ADHD brain kept distracting me and my executive function kept failing me. I got caught hyperfixating on little details (did you know there are six synonyms for “synergy”??) and completely lost track of time. Meanwhile, my autistic need for a schedule felt betrayed, so I scrambled at the last minute to recreate the plan in my head.
In short, my brain did a chaotic shuffle: part of me planned to be on time, and part of me promptly forgot the plan. This is the classic AuDHD paradox: craving order but being too scattered to maintain it.
Being both ADHD and autistic has its upsides (creative ideas, empathy, passion for special interests) but also hilarious downsides like this scheduling fiasco.
Anyway, I hope this sheds light on why I missed my self-imposed deadline. It’s not that I don’t care about you or our newsletter schedule – it’s that my neurodivergent brain literally forgot to.
Thanks for understanding this slightly derailed edition. I’m working on tricks to make my brain less rebellious (alarms, timers, color-coded calendars – send help 😂). Meanwhile, enjoy your Thursday newsletter. I’ll try to make next week’s as punctual as one of my hyper-focus marathons.
THE ENDING BIT
That’s all folks! A bit of a serious one this week.
Before I go, however, here’s quick reminder that donations aren’t just appreciated — they are desperately needed. If you’re able to help, anything is a lifeline.
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Thanks!
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