The Glitch…

When Wreck-It Ralph came out, it was hard not to fall in love with Venellope von Schweetz. She was smart, sassy, determined, and had…a GLITCH. Though we had watched the movie countless times, there was a moment when my son had an endearing realization:

“ Momma I have a glitch too!”

Image Credit: Iwona Catiello D’Antonio

Like Venellope, my son had a glitch - something that he couldn’t control, something that took over his body, something that felt uncomfortable for him when stifled and unresolved without a body break. CMS was his glitch. It would affect his attention or focus, sometimes take him out of the moment (especially when it triggered his IIM), rearing itself when it was most inconvenient, and something he struggled to control and hide.

At face value, the glitch was something awful and hurtful. With questioning looks, and wondering faces, Pierce had to be brave to have his “body breaks” at school. The hallways, provided the most space, but not the sanctuary he would have preferred to pace, and move his hands. In class or at practices, instructions would have to be repeated and details sometimes missed. At times, misunderstandings would happen amongst young friends because his concentration lapsed (to resist performing his CMS/IIM or because he drifted into IIM ), and big chunks of the rules of the game, or conversations, were accidently skipped.

*Fast forward and Spoiler Alert if you haven’t watched the movie*

To our complete surprise, we discovered that, like Venellope, Pierce’s glitch was spontaneous, unpredictable, and seemed to have a mind of it’s own - And much like hers, it also became HIS superpower. The same thing that, at the best of times, could be incredibly disruptive (especially in the earlier years), was also… the thing that has expanded the boundaries of his world, that is delicious to draw upon, and is a source of endless creative possibilities and storytelling.

Ask him now and he would never trade his glitch for anything.