Last year, as happens in every high school, my class finally got to choose their class rings. As I go to an all-girls' school, this was naturally a big deal. What metal to use, black fill in(or not), what the side of the ring should look like, all of these choices were going through my mind.
I knew I wanted a silver-colored band because silver goes with everything (one of the best pieces of jewelery advice I have ever received). However, I also wanted it durable because I am constantly running about and don't want to get it damaged easily. Anyway, I filled out the form and knew I got an alloy, and the ring came out perfect.
Fast forward to the present. I was looking for something the other day and came across the box my ring came in and upon reading, my ring is a silver and titanium alloy.
If anyone out there has heard the song "Titanium" you will understand why. Titanium is one of the hardest metals known to man. Its name echos of strength. Even in the song, the singer tells her naysayers "Fire away, fire away. Shoot me down, but I won't fall. I am Titanium."
I think Aspies are a lot like titanium. We are shot down, fall, but we will always get back up again. No matter what, we are strong and resilient. And we will always be able to be strong, no matter what the circumstance.
Aspies, be Titanium. I know you can be.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Why entertainment can be beneficial
My brother, who is fifteen, loves to watch TV. Whenever he has free time, he particularly enjoys shows like How I Met Your Mother and 24. My younger brother, who is ten, enjoys shows like Adventure Time and Regular Show. As into these shows as they are, I never quite understood it. These shows seemed boring to me, without real depth.
One problem we as Aspies seem to have is the inability to recognise body language and facial expressions. It's not that we don't want to understand, it is simply that we don't know how. We love and cherish our alone time, reading, talking to ourselves, and thinking. As great as this time alone is, we cannot transfer it into our modern socializing. We don't understand what people mean, and it frustrates us.
One way to help us Aspies learn body language is to, when they have free time, let them watch TV with real people on it. Aspies can watch these shows and get caught up in the plot, helping us focus on something other than school. Also, a TV show can show and Aspie how people react in a certain way and how they express it through their body. Then, when a similar situation happens in life, an Aspie can recognise it and respond accordingly. It's also a good way to start conversation for Aspies who need something to talk about.
But, some will say, there is not anything good on! It's all boring and flat these days, how can I find a good show? Netflix, actually, can be very helpful with that. They see what you watch and recommend shows they think you will like, and some of the time, they are actually right. Listening to your friends' recommendations also help. Without my friends, I never would have found my shows that I love to watch: Doctor Who, Merlin, and Sherlock. I love them and recommend all three of these shows highly, and they have actually benefited from them.
When you have time, try watching a show. You may be really glad that you did.
One problem we as Aspies seem to have is the inability to recognise body language and facial expressions. It's not that we don't want to understand, it is simply that we don't know how. We love and cherish our alone time, reading, talking to ourselves, and thinking. As great as this time alone is, we cannot transfer it into our modern socializing. We don't understand what people mean, and it frustrates us.
One way to help us Aspies learn body language is to, when they have free time, let them watch TV with real people on it. Aspies can watch these shows and get caught up in the plot, helping us focus on something other than school. Also, a TV show can show and Aspie how people react in a certain way and how they express it through their body. Then, when a similar situation happens in life, an Aspie can recognise it and respond accordingly. It's also a good way to start conversation for Aspies who need something to talk about.
But, some will say, there is not anything good on! It's all boring and flat these days, how can I find a good show? Netflix, actually, can be very helpful with that. They see what you watch and recommend shows they think you will like, and some of the time, they are actually right. Listening to your friends' recommendations also help. Without my friends, I never would have found my shows that I love to watch: Doctor Who, Merlin, and Sherlock. I love them and recommend all three of these shows highly, and they have actually benefited from them.
When you have time, try watching a show. You may be really glad that you did.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Anything you can do, I can do better!
I don't know if any of my readers recognised the title of this blog from the musical Annie Get Your Gun, but that was where I got the idea from for this blog. If you listen to the song, it is about a boy and a girl saying that girls can be equal to and even surpass boys in some things. While I agree with the fact that women are equal to men, I actually thought of Aspies (and kids on the autism spectrum in general) who can do things that other people think we cannot, even surpassing people's expectations.
Allow me to explain. I have a really good guy friend who is autistic. Let's call him Mark. Mark is a high functioning autistic boy who I have become very close with. He, like myself, is a swimmer and enjoys his routine.
Like all autistic kids, Mark has his problems with sound, and many things seem intense for him. However, a few years ago, he was able to swim Alcatraz. This involves swimming from the former prison to the shore in a wetsuit with who knows what floating around and many people around you. Not the ideal environment for an autistic kid or an Aspie, period.
But Mark is different. He swam that race and, remarkably, finished. The thing people said he could not do he managed to accomplish without any help whatsoever, completely by himself. I call him the wonder swimmer not because he could do it, but because he proved all of those people wrong who claimed that because he was autistic, he could never finish. Mark did, and is contemplating swimming it again because he enjoyed it so much!
Moral of the story: just because someone says you cannot do something, doesn't mean you can't. Mark went against all his naysayers and came out on top. So remember Aspies and autistic kids everywhere: don't let someone's opinion of what you can do. You can do anything if you set your mind to, even if it seems impossible.
Allow me to explain. I have a really good guy friend who is autistic. Let's call him Mark. Mark is a high functioning autistic boy who I have become very close with. He, like myself, is a swimmer and enjoys his routine.
Like all autistic kids, Mark has his problems with sound, and many things seem intense for him. However, a few years ago, he was able to swim Alcatraz. This involves swimming from the former prison to the shore in a wetsuit with who knows what floating around and many people around you. Not the ideal environment for an autistic kid or an Aspie, period.
But Mark is different. He swam that race and, remarkably, finished. The thing people said he could not do he managed to accomplish without any help whatsoever, completely by himself. I call him the wonder swimmer not because he could do it, but because he proved all of those people wrong who claimed that because he was autistic, he could never finish. Mark did, and is contemplating swimming it again because he enjoyed it so much!
Moral of the story: just because someone says you cannot do something, doesn't mean you can't. Mark went against all his naysayers and came out on top. So remember Aspies and autistic kids everywhere: don't let someone's opinion of what you can do. You can do anything if you set your mind to, even if it seems impossible.
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