Transcript from NPR Storycorps
https://storycorps.org/listen/benny-smith-and-christine-ristaino-160211/#
Christine Ristaino (CR) and Benny Smith (BS)
CR: When did you notice your seizures?
BS: When I fell out of my chair in my fifth grade English class and I couldn’t move.
CR: And what does it feel like when you wake up?
BS: A bit like a hangover.
CR: [Laughs] How do you know what a hangover feels like?
BS: You told it to me.
CR: Maybe I did, I don’t know! So, another question that I have for you: you’ve been passionate about science since you were probably four. How has having a seizure disorder affected how you study science?
BS: It hasn’t; not at all!
CR: OK. [laughs]
BS: Nothing can stop me.
CR: You’ve got just so much going on in your brain; it’s hard to turn it off, right?
BS: I’ve got a yearning. It’s like the call of the Sirens from Odysseus. But instead of flesh-eating monsters, it’s a—like a treasure trove of knowledge.
CR: And in fact, we went to a counselor and we were saying, “Benny never sleeps,” and the counselor said, “Oh, you know, what do you think about at night?” And he was thinking maybe you were anxious, and you said, “Well, you know, I think about what it would be like to go to the edge of the universe and look out.”
BS: Well, I just wonder. Because it must be incomprehensible.
CR: Benny, what are your hopes for the future?
BS: Well, we’ve been so busy on my seizures that my sister doesn’t get very much attention. She’s left in the dark and she’s an extrovert. Is that how you say it?
CR: No, I think it’s the opposite. She’s an introvert, and you’re the extrovert [laughs]. You’re very social.
BS: Yeah.
CR: You’ve kind of been the focal point in the family over the last few years, huh?
BS: I think we need to change that.
CR: Yeah. I’m so proud of you because you’re so courageous in the face of something that’s very scary.
BS: I’ve gone through some depression, anger, and I finally realized: there’s a galaxy of experiences, I would say. My friends have always been by my side. With friends, you’re invincible.
CR: I love you very much.
BS: I love you too, mom.
CR: Sometimes you’re the one that comforts me, you know that?
BS: Thank you.
CR: When did you notice your seizures?
BS: When I fell out of my chair in my fifth grade English class and I couldn’t move.
CR: And what does it feel like when you wake up?
BS: A bit like a hangover.
CR: [Laughs] How do you know what a hangover feels like?
BS: You told it to me.
CR: Maybe I did, I don’t know! So, another question that I have for you: you’ve been passionate about science since you were probably four. How has having a seizure disorder affected how you study science?
BS: It hasn’t; not at all!
CR: OK. [laughs]
BS: Nothing can stop me.
CR: You’ve got just so much going on in your brain; it’s hard to turn it off, right?
BS: I’ve got a yearning. It’s like the call of the Sirens from Odysseus. But instead of flesh-eating monsters, it’s a—like a treasure trove of knowledge.
CR: And in fact, we went to a counselor and we were saying, “Benny never sleeps,” and the counselor said, “Oh, you know, what do you think about at night?” And he was thinking maybe you were anxious, and you said, “Well, you know, I think about what it would be like to go to the edge of the universe and look out.”
BS: Well, I just wonder. Because it must be incomprehensible.
CR: Benny, what are your hopes for the future?
BS: Well, we’ve been so busy on my seizures that my sister doesn’t get very much attention. She’s left in the dark and she’s an extrovert. Is that how you say it?
CR: No, I think it’s the opposite. She’s an introvert, and you’re the extrovert [laughs]. You’re very social.
BS: Yeah.
CR: You’ve kind of been the focal point in the family over the last few years, huh?
BS: I think we need to change that.
CR: Yeah. I’m so proud of you because you’re so courageous in the face of something that’s very scary.
BS: I’ve gone through some depression, anger, and I finally realized: there’s a galaxy of experiences, I would say. My friends have always been by my side. With friends, you’re invincible.
CR: I love you very much.
BS: I love you too, mom.
CR: Sometimes you’re the one that comforts me, you know that?
BS: Thank you.
