The Boy Who Couldn’t Read

Shame, Anxiety and Other Monsters of the Mind

Photo by Dalton Smith on Unsplash

The air hung heavy, infused with warring scents of stale popcorn, aging molten nacho cheese and bowling shoe disinfectant.

Parents stood huddled around my friends and I as we showed off our new acquisitions. The birthday party was winding down, and we were all a sweaty mess — somehow simultaneously amped up and…