Missed the opportunity to blog on April Fool’s Day, so I will play some catch-up today.
What’s the connection between April Fool’s and Light Fixtures’ protagonist Aurora? For a bipolar teen, it’s all about dealing with “fools”, especially those who don’t think, or those who refuse to see the big picture.
Often, when someone with teen bipolar disorder is in the mania stage, it’s not uncommon for her/him to see things in a very, lightning-quick, perceptive light. Often, with that keen awareness comes a sense of having a smarter-than-the-average person’s take on things. The speed of mania can do that.
With Aurora’s mania increasing in the book, she becomes more impatient with others and she doesn’t, as her grandmother’s Bible says, “suffer fools gladly.” In fact, if it weren’t for her good Southern manners, she would be putting folks straight often. She feels this manic frustration when she’s with those who seem to take so long to get a point, or to see the smartest, most efficient way for things to be done. And not just done…but done fast: a just-do-it-and-move-on action. That’s teen bipolar mania.
Of course, Mr. Hematite, the mystic and friend in the woods across the hay fields, understands this and tries to guide her along. But mania is rarely recognized when it’s in full bloom and Aurora is an example of that. Yet Mr. Hematite does not give up!
I encourage you to get a copy of Light Fixtures and follow Aurora’s journey. It’s in paperback now!
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