Sunday, May 24, 2015

Enjoying the weekend :)

After much-needed sleep yesterday, I'm enjoying my weekend :) I slept until 5:30pm yesterday after work, and then binged on some REALLY good pizza! Then I slept some more....and some more. Lol!

This morning I woke up around 7:45, and decided to spend an hour laying in bed and playing some Juice Jam and Yummy Gummy. Then my mom made French toast with this delicious cinnamon and brown sugar bread. It was awesome!

Today I'm going to spend the day vegging and probably geeking out over whichever ROMs I find on xda-developers.com. Happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone! :)

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Feelings...

Anxiety, gripping my mind. Stomach feels tense, and no idea why. Will I be able to relax? Can I get through the day?

Confusion....nothing makes sense. Is it me, or is it them? Why do little things seem to set me off?

Uncertainty. Did I do anything to start any trouble? Say anything to offend anyone?

Why do I feel this way? No idea. Maybe it's time for a med adjustment...

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Things to relate to!

It's great to find experiences of others that you can relate to. Today I've stumbled across two! It really makes you feel like you're not alone in the world.

One is an article by a friend who discovered she was autistic at 21. She is now 27, has her Master's and lives in an apartment with her cat. I could relate to many of the experiences she described, and then ran across a sentence that resonated with me. In high school, "she wasn't into makeup, boys or dating." This is the story of my life! I knew this about her already, but to see that sentence just instilled into me that I'm not the only one who just doesn't find those things interesting.

Another article I was reading was by a former elementary school teacher who has Asperger's. He was talking about how things are looked at as hobbies for non-autistic people, but obsessions for autistic people. Fast forward to about halfway through the article, and what is one of his special interests, but...you guessed it...Sonic the Hedgehog! :D He talked about how it helped him become a writer, an explorer, and to form a bond with his cousin. Sonic has been so therapeutic for me since I was 10. It's something I can play over and over again and persevere on. Sonic never gets old!

After reading these articles, I'm left with a feeling of happiness. Happy because there are others who "get it." There are other peeps out there who are like me! Everyone is unique in their own way, which I appreciate VERY much. It is nice once in a while, though, to find others with common interests :)

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Trying to find a happy medium

Over the past week, some of the statuses I've been posting have been getting feedback from multiple angles. I'm trying to put my thoughts together, to make sense of it all. Well, here goes...

Basically, all I'm trying to do is encourage people to focus on the positives. I made a status stating that I don't appreciate when parents say they hate autism. Now, before you jump down my throat, please listen. I know it can be hard. I get it. I also realize that my experience with autism is MY experience...everyone else's is going to be different. I have some challenges that others don't, and others have challenges that I don't.

My point was that, amidst the struggles, I want to advocate for my fellow autistics and help put things in a positive light. What's so wrong about that? It's a good thing to be optimistic. At the same time, I don't want to discount anyone's struggles. Again, I understand that it isn't all sunshine and rainbows. You may wish that your child can do things that they may not be able to. At the same time, remind yourself of the things they can do. They may not be able to marry and have children, or own a house. What if they don't want any of these things, anyway? They also may not have to worry about paying bills, running a household, or many of the responsibilities others deal with on a day to day basis. There are pros and cons to both sides.

I can see why some people become frustrated with the cons. It can't be easy all of the time, for both the spectrumite or the parents. At the same time, all life experiences are valid. Just because one may not be able to do A, B or C doesn't mean that they're not happy! They live life in their own special way. Remember this, too...never say never! Before you start grieving for the things professionals say your child will never do, give them a chance to prove you wrong! Doctor's don't have crystal balls. The only way you can see what a child will or will not be able to do is to see for yourself, when the time comes. Always presume competence! :)

I hope this outs things into a better light. I want to end the battles, and try to look at things from both sides of the fence, all while being an advocate. This is only my opinion. I respect that others may see things from a different point of view. That's ok. For example, I have no way of seeing things from the perspective of a parent, because I've never been one. I can only give my own autistic, firsthand experience. Thank you for taking the time to read this :)