So, I was at the grand bookstore chain called Chapters the other day. Browsed around… they sure know how to make people comfortable, with the associated Starbucks chain sort of integrated and grafted smoothly into the whole op the way your eyeball is sealed into your head (hopefully). Speaking of eyeballs, I of course took a gander at the Stephen King section. They didn't have any rare books on his life ABOUT him in stock apart from a concordance to The Dark Tower, but I peered around and they did have Dreamcatcher and Everything's Eventual, hardcopy, for sale at $10?a pop. Pretty good pricin' for a *hardcover*. One copy of Carrie, newest ed., paperback, was also left. Carrie is a great American novel, and it combines two things that are very relevant to me: menstruation and telekinesis. I also noticed that in the Parenting section, they have a subsection very clearly marked: AUTISM & ASPERGER'S SYNDROME. Well that's nice they're paying attention to this, as?there must be demand from some awfully concerned parents wondering about their child or children's?wellbeing — which, in my books (pun?), is just so sooo splendid.
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I do wish those books were around when I was a tot. Then again, it made me learn "normal" behavior the rough and tough way, with a lot of tumbles en route. I remember I was kicked off at least a few dozen Internet message boards?and mailing lists?in my early Net surfing days (dating back to Netscape 1.1, but not quite pre-Mosaic 
) because I talked a lot. Too much. I?tried to help everyone with their queries.?This, of course, was just a followup to me being kicked out of social?circles for?speaking too much and rattling off everything I knew about, say, the Transformers or?paleontology (can you guess?why I like Ross on?Friends? Although Phoebe's my fave character for her charming visage and non-sequiturs).?I can't ever remember being deliberately rude in a trolly (not Torley) sort of way, but I do have some historical traits which could be seen as rude: like the urge to correct inaccuracies and a stubborn desire to fill in all of the loopholes in an argument.?Which, of course, is impossible. Damn semantics! Nowadays, I'm more mellow. It's like, "Whateva, man/woman." I learned a lot watching Bob Marley and MTV's gangsta rap dept.. No kidding. I mean, whatever seems like some hyperbolic caricatoon to someone else — that's the near-Gospel truth to me. But it was really, really frustrating for me to have to explain myself each and every time, no matter how nicely I tried… and tried.
) because I talked a lot. Too much. I?tried to help everyone with their queries.?This, of course, was just a followup to me being kicked out of social?circles for?speaking too much and rattling off everything I knew about, say, the Transformers or?paleontology (can you guess?why I like Ross on?Friends? Although Phoebe's my fave character for her charming visage and non-sequiturs).?I can't ever remember being deliberately rude in a trolly (not Torley) sort of way, but I do have some historical traits which could be seen as rude: like the urge to correct inaccuracies and a stubborn desire to fill in all of the loopholes in an argument.?Which, of course, is impossible. Damn semantics! Nowadays, I'm more mellow. It's like, "Whateva, man/woman." I learned a lot watching Bob Marley and MTV's gangsta rap dept.. No kidding. I mean, whatever seems like some hyperbolic caricatoon to someone else — that's the near-Gospel truth to me. But it was really, really frustrating for me to have to explain myself each and every time, no matter how nicely I tried… and tried.?
Finally after 6-7 years (yes, it took that long), I think I got something down effectively and Thor's?hammered out a mode of speech which works for me on a purely textual basis. (Like I'm typing now, darling!) I continue to adapt it to this day, and all that I can claim is that it's Me, unique and unadulterated… well, maybe adulterated. We'll figure that part out like Zephos figures out Xynthica's hair ornaments.
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Back to Chapters… so I was reading this book about parenting a child with Asperger's Syndrome?(ain't hyperlinks grand?), and on top of everything that already made sense for me, this even made more sense. I could sooo relate! Which is kind of funny, because I don't relate to much in the grand scheme of things. Since there is no cure (a fallacy and myth, since this is a fundamental and integral part of the neurotype and personality that constitutes who I am — not that I'd want one, anyway ), what can be done? Well, what needs to be done is more Aspie Awareness just like anything (awareness about eating unhealthy, animal cruelty, and the aesthetic benefits of WATERMELONS!) so that more open dialog can be shared and skills that are hard to learn but nevertheless can be learned . . . can be learned! (How's that for redundancy?)?Honest, earnest communication in a kind and loving environment — and nothing less than that — is where progress will be made. Oh, there'll be genetics research for sure, as well as deeper forays into the enigma that is the human noggin; and the human experience of being social, especially for typically antisocial people, will be the challenge. Online and offline, as it continues to grow.
), what can be done? Well, what needs to be done is more Aspie Awareness just like anything (awareness about eating unhealthy, animal cruelty, and the aesthetic benefits of WATERMELONS!) so that more open dialog can be shared and skills that are hard to learn but nevertheless can be learned . . . can be learned! (How's that for redundancy?)?Honest, earnest communication in a kind and loving environment — and nothing less than that — is where progress will be made. Oh, there'll be genetics research for sure, as well as deeper forays into the enigma that is the human noggin; and the human experience of being social, especially for typically antisocial people, will be the challenge. Online and offline, as it continues to grow.?
I have a great wonderment for human diversity and variety so I must absolutely clarify, politely but firmly, clarify that I am in no way an "Aspie supremacist". There are some of those already plotting for some war vs. the neurotypicals ("normal humans"), which is yet another myth/fallacy because human brains are neither black, nor white. Kibbles 'n' bits 'n' pieces of them are mired in the aforementioned diversity, which leads to a beautiful mosaic of shades of gray. This is a SPECTRUM of humans. Just like people are born with different skin colors and different body types — some are short, some are tall, but all are human beings — there is so much room for all types of folks. Hopefully nice folks?=^_^=?*meows*.?For me, Asperger's Syndrome sounds a bit awkward and may very well be a placeholder term in a greater continuum of classification to come. We'll see. Labeling may be a necessary evil, but emphasize the "necessary" instead of the other term and maybe there'll be hope yet. The remaining mysteries of the MEDULLA OBLONGATA (Adam Sandler voice, hee hee) and more have yet to be unravelled.
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I'm a human being, you're a human being (unless you're my cat-to-be reading this, hi Avree!). We've got roles in life to play, and obviously, some days are really crappy and we say "Life sucks!", but on the whole, it doesn't. Or at least, it shouldn't. No matter who we are or where we're from, we've got hopes, dreams, and all sorts of goals to accomplish. We might not accomplish all of those goals, but hey, that's okay, it's good to dream and think about them.?Fantasies are?well-balanced?part of a fantastic Life breakfast (ha). As The Donald (who I fervently admire for his classiness) says, "Think big." And do bigger? Ja. And "ha" rhymes with "ja".
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I'd like to wager that your goals are of the safe, sane, and consensual variety. Hopefully you're a nice person who's good to other people and good to yourself?for the most part, despite your failings and foibles. Hey, I know, I've got my weaknesses too. Here's a big one for you: I HAVE NO COMMON SENSE. Got that? What most people take for granted, I have zero of. Zero, as in Zip, Zilch, and their sad sister Nada. It may sound strange to you, but it's what's "normal" to me. I've read and heard about common sense all throughout my life. But I just don't "get" it. I just don't "feel" it… I look for it, and there's nothing there. Nothing at all.
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Want an example? Here's an example — like they say, give a penny, take a penny. So here's a trienny (that's a penny worth 3): the other day, my Mum needed help picking fruit from the apricot tree. She tells me that she wants me to collect all the fruit, but that she's tired of picking too, 'cause?as you know, apricotties bear a lot of babies and big baskets are needed for all of the wee ones. Also, I point out there's a branch hanging over an edge of the water where it's hard to get at with any ladder.?She tells me: "I don't care how you do it, just get it?done!"?I obey.?So what do I do? I get my trusty saw out and I chop the whole tree down. Looks good to me, feels good to me, and it makes as darndest logical sense to my inner bones as I can figure out. Of course, she's horrified. I am not. Three problems solved in one, Mom! *BIG HUG*
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As you can see, while there is nothing there *thumps skull*, I find other areas of my life to be most bountiful. I have family who loves me and good friends who don't judge me for being who I am, being a kindly eccentric fruits basket?(like the anime, which incidentally has a cat) who has Asperger's Syndrome. And within myself, I know I have a glowing confidence: a confidence that didn't exist in my younger years, because I didn't know what the hell I was, quite frankly. I'm like one of those Pokemon without a number who isn't in the Pokedex yet (for the record, Meowth is my fave).?This confidence didn't come easily, oh no!, it came from years of experience and I have many more to go and much learning to do. And even better, much teaching to others. I hope I can share my personal experiences in a way that will benefit lives of my fellow people, even if I do feel I am not of this planet sometimes. And maybe we'll meet some real extraterrestrials along the way
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It's gonna?be a wild journey, and I'm going to be using techno music to — for lack of a better word — channel the goods like some cyber-shaman of ye olde ravey days to ya. From past to present to future, here we go! Buckle up, and?stick around for the ride!!!