Teen dealing with Tourette’s
I came across a story in Radio Diaries called “Josh’s Diaries: Tourette’s / First Kiss“. The title intrigued me and made me want to listen to the audio. The story begins with Josh’s narration. He describes himself as a 16 year-old boy who is dealing with a neurological disorder known as Tourette’s Syndrome. The story fixes the listener in Josh’s perspective: what he feels, what he hears, etc. After he introduces himself and his background, he transitions the story to his time at high school. He specifically expresses that he was a little apprehensive about bringing a tape recorder to school. Josh briefly interviews students at school and asks them questions about his disorder. This part of the audio was very eye-opening. I was able to sense the interactions between Josh and his high school classmates though the audio recording. I thought that Josh was very brave for doing this because some of the reactions were a little harsh. For example, when asked if the student thought that Josh’s disorder affected his relationship with people, the student responded, “Yes, sometimes your outbursts are really disruptive.” Hearing the interactions between Josh and his classmates really shed some light on the everyday struggles that Josh faces. He then goes into detail about his relationships with girls and how his first kiss didn’t go so well.
The way his personality shined through kept me listening through the entirety of the recording. Josh was very conversational with the audience. The recording was even a little shocking at times. For example, Josh would go on to explain that when he held in his ticks it feels like someone was blowing up a big ballon inside his stomach. Sometimes he would hold in his ticks until he got home. Then I would hear loud, hi-pitched screeches and squeals. It really startled me at first. I slowly began to imagine the hardship that Josh faces with Tourette’s Syndrome.
The photo associated with the recording also really caught my attention. It helped me connect with Josh and gave me insight into his personality. He really values his relationships and does the best he can to deal with his disorder. I could tell in the intonation in his voice that he yearns for a sense of belonging and acceptance with his peers, especially with girls.
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