the pinball wizard

If someone were to ask me how my daughter’s brain works i would say that it’s like a pinball machine. Let’s see how my theory looks-

someone makes a comment or asks her a question and it hits her like the ball shooting up into the playing field of the machine. where and what it will hit is very unpredictable. will it bounce off of past experiences and “ring a bell” to her in an area of understanding? will it fall into silence in a black hole of confusion? will it get stuck in a repetitive pattern of bounces that seems to go on forever? will it fall silently down out of play without ever causing a reaction? will it cause a reaction that’s totally out of anybody’s control creating havoc in front of our eyes? or …. will everything fall smoothly into play with the ball and the player working in unison, hitting a paddle, going back up for more points, coming back down for another hit on a flipper. Perfect, reciprocal movements that create a very pleasurable, even addictive, experience.

that’s how things can go with my daughter. Lucky for me, most of our “play” is enjoyable and rewarding, but too many times people end up frustrated and Belle (like the ball in play) doesn’t reach her full potential.