Chomp, Press, Pull by Elaina Battista-Parsons; Sensate Memoir About Sensory Issues

 

Chomp, Press, Pull by Elaina Battista-Parsons; Sensate Memoir About Sensory Issues

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Sensory dysregulation can be a very difficult condition to live with. The body has trouble processing and interpreting sensory information from the environment leading to unusual or uncomfortable responses. It can lead to oversensitivity or under sensitivity to stimuli and difficulty distinguishing different sensory inputs. The person with it could respond by having emotional meltdowns, anxiety attacks, motor coordination problems, and often avoiding certain environments or activities. It is caused by Neurological disorders such as Autism, sensory processing disorder, developmental delays, trauma, and early life experiences. Occupational therapy, environmental modifications, sensory integration activities, and medication can be used to treat it. 

As with many neurological and psychological conditions, it is something that causes people to view the world differently but can be controlled or diminished if too overwhelming. Unfortunately, this was not always the case as Elaina Battista-Parsons reveals in her amusing and moving memoir, Chomp Press Pull. When she grew up in the 80’s, her condition was barely understood or treated. Battista-Parsons’s book is rich in personal experiences and sensory detail from someone who had to look at the world in her own way.

The Introduction gives us a compelling glimpse of what it's like for someone to live their daily life with such a condition. In 1995, Battista-Parsons sat in her classroom, sweated, and shifted uncomfortably because of the class’s heater. Despite her objections, the teacher wouldn't let her leave the room or open the window in January so she had to endure this miserable time in class growing ever more uncomfortable and barely paying attention to the dull lecture on Jack London.

When she was very young long before she was diagnosed, Battista-Parsons used a variety of means to deal with the sensory complications like chewing and biting on anything whether it was edible or not, pressing down hard on things such as crayons to paper, and pulling on objects like hair and string. She also had various comfort objects to hold and take comfort in their texture. Chief among them was a Mork doll from the sitcom, Mork and Mindy. Battista-Parsons carried Mork around so often that she referred to him as “(her) husband.”

Since Battista-Parsons spent much of her childhood in the 80’s, the book refers to many of the trends of the era. She describes banana clips on big hair, Swatch watches and neon bright colors, going to the mall, dancing to music videos like “So Emotional,” “Control,” and “Rhythm of the Night,” and scented merchandise. A delightful chapter is devoted to that favorite fad of many 80’s girls: scratch and sniff stickers. Battista-Parsons loved and collected them, probably because they gave off a nice smell that isn't too overpowering for her. Among her favorites were plump strawberry, pizza slice, and two bananas. This chapter showed that despite her sensory difficulties, Battista-Parsons was able to find delight in things despite or even maybe because of these issues.

Because of her awareness of senses, Battista-Parsons associated senses with certain times and places. She had a love for apartments and sometimes stayed overnight at her grandmother's. The taste and smell of tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, braciola, and olive oil filled those days and reminded her of her grandmother's apartment and other small spaces. Small apartments and sheds gave her a sense of coziness that still resonates within her.

Battista-Parsons’ sensory dysregulation gave her the ability to focus on and be aware of people and things that others are not. While Christmas can be a fun time of togetherness, it was also a draining time. Her very large and noisy family’s voices were exuberant but cacophonous. The Christmas music was present and merged with the voices of her family. This is a reminder that not everyone processes events and places in the same way and although they might be having a good time, they can also feel anxious and overwhelmed. It takes great understanding, acceptance, and accommodation to live with such a condition for the person who has it and those who are near it.

As with many young people, Battista-Parsons explored the concept of sexuality, something that her body, particularly her senses, made her very aware of. She cites Billy Idol’s music video for “Cradle of Love” with its beautiful alluring female protagonist for introducing her to the concept of sex. She recognized the power that the girl had in the video over a male onlooker and that a female body can spark certain feelings and turn people on. The sight of “Cradle of Love” and other videos became gateways into Battista-Parsons ' understanding of sex which culminated in various dates and losing her virginity at 19. 

The book is a cornucopia of associating senses with past interests and experiences. She associated linoleum floors and Hela Young reciting lottery numbers on television with her family room. Her father’s green tree air freshener made her nauseous and though he told her that she would be fine, he took her to the nearby hardware store where sawdust and cedar wood were a reliever from the artificial plastic odor from her dad’s car. The sight of figure skaters dressed in their beautiful costumes, skating on the cool ice impressed her enough to imitate them on the living room floor. The taste of sugar bubble gum recalled a babysitter who indulged her interest in the tasty treat. Her mother’s hands touched store fabrics with great care like they were the finest silk. The book is definitely about someone who had no choice but to experience the world strongly and share with others how it looked, smelled, heard, tasted, and felt to her. 

Even though the book is largely about how Battista-Parsons coped with sensory dysregulation throughout her life, that is not by any means her sole focus. She takes several opportunities to recall other important times through her life, many that any reader would relate to. She discusses familiar issues that many Readers understand like conflicts with her family, first crushes, and academic struggles with other kids and teachers. One whole chapter is devoted to many anecdotes that illustrate her various teacher’s specific sense triggers, and sometimes more objectionable behavior like telling bawdy jokes, groping and flirting with students, or dividing classrooms by gender or ability.

Her experience with her first love, Gregg, combines early romance with her sensory details. Gregg inspired her to enjoy various musicians, particularly female musicians but he became very possessive and jealous of her. Her overdeveloped sense of smell attracted her to his cologne and the wood in his parent’s house. Because she associated people with certain scents, she often caught the odor in other boy’s much to Gregg’s chagrin and lack of understanding towards her condition. After about a year, they broke up in the usual pattern of early boyfriends and girlfriends falling out of love as quickly as they fell in.

Battista-Parsons had brilliant clever ways of writing about her sensory issues. One whole chapter describes alphabetically some of the difficulties that her condition caused. Her arm hair felt uncomfortable so she constantly shaved it. Biting fingernails and cracking air pockets became sources of stress relief. Certain colors like green and gray were soothing while red was too overpowering. Anything as simple and innocuous to others like Play-Doh, dry lips, zippers, suitcases, lemons, and sandals could help or hinder her.

Identifying her condition, understanding the symptoms, and realizing that she was not the only one with such problems, helped Battista-Parsons learn about and treat her condition. She attributed many different techniques including Reiki and chiropractic methods as huge factors in helping her treat her sensory issues. She also holds no animosity towards her family for dismissing her problems. It was not discussed or identified much throughout her childhood and if medical professionals didn’t understand and study it, then her parents wouldn’t have been able to let alone herself. 

The chapters describing the research, diagnosis reveal how liberating it can be when you learn about a condition and how you can master it.