Picking Yourself Up

   My friend, let's call her Paulina, has been in love with a certain college since before she can remember. She went to all the summer programs, envisioned herself there, and was smart enough, a commended National Merit finalist,  to get in.  I had never seen anyone work as hard as she did to get anywhere.
  Naturally, when college applications came around, she applied to her dream college Early Action. This means, if she was accepted, she could not apply anywhere else or go anywhere else. Anyway, the admission came at 3:00 last Thursday.

  She didn't get in.

  Paulina was devastated. She couldn't even come to school on Friday she was so sad. How could they not pick her, of all people? She's funny, interesting, and accepted me wholeheartedly when I told her about my Asperger's. She completely deserves this, and they didn't pick her.
  However, Paulina isn't the type to let this defeat her. She's one of the strongest humans I know, and she is the one person who taught me not to let something defeat me, even if it seems like the end of the world, it isn't. Paulina taught me that life throws you curve balls that you will never be prepared for and life will knock you down.  From there you have two choices. You can choose to remain defeated and let it define your life, or you can get up, as painful as it is, and continue with living. If something changes your plans, your plans were probably not meant to happen.
  I feel like we, as Aspies, can take a lesson from my friend Paulina. People will be mean, people will tease, people may hurt, but that doesn't mean you can let them rule your life. Even though it sounds crazy,  do not let them bother you, because picking yourself up is a much braver act than letting those mean people or bad situations rule your life. You will win in the end, but first you have to pick yourself up.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

  It's that time of year again, turn on any sort of family station and there will be a holiday movie playing. Frosty the Snowman, A Christmas Carol, and The Polar Express are examples of some of these classics my family and I enjoy.
   But the one holiday movie I absolutely love (and know every line to, don't judge) is Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. I love all the songs and even the characters are pretty cool, even at eighteen years of age.
   However, I think it's the story of Rudolph that gets me every time, especially as an Aspie. For those who don't know the story, Rudolph is a reindeer born with a red glowing nose. Ashamed, his father tries to hide his nose, and when that fails, Rudolph runs away with an elf who wants to be a dentist and an explorer hunting for silver and gold. When Rudolph returns, he and his friends are able to save Christmas because Rudolph's nose cuts through the storm.
   I think Aspies are a lot like Rudolph. Many people close to us can try to hide our slight oddities because they just want us to be able to fit in. While they are well-meaning and have our best interests at heart, you should know that you aren't like anyone else. This may seem bad to begin with, like Rudolph thought it was, but your differences make you, you. And, while now, it may seem hard to believe, your differences will change the world and will be called on when nobody else can help. This may take time, so don't expect instant results. Be patient, for one day your talent will be needed when nobody else can help, and then you will shine like a light, bright for all to see.

To my Readers

  Wow, guys, I am so flattered. Over 2,000 pageviews and the comments are wonderful and touching.  Some of you have started your own blogs because of this one and others can even find their inspiration here. Truly, I am so honored to be a part of your life.
  I really want to respond to you in person, though. So if you feel comfortable enough to do so, leave a comment and your email address so I can respond to you amazing people and your comments. If you are not comfortable leaving the email, I will try to address your question or comment in the blog.
  Thanks for everything, guys!

Who's Laughing Now?

    If you watched the Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic Games this year, you would have seen a parade of talented musical artists from the United Kingdom.  However, there was one musical artist at the closing ceremonies who I truly believe deserved to be there. Her legal name is Jessica Cornish, but she is better known to the world as "Domino" singer Jessie J.
  Jessie J is no ordinary singer. If you listen to her album, it's a mix of many types of music that blend together surprisingly well. I have been a fan of hers since my brother introduced me to "Domino". I then went online and listened her entire album, which is fantastic.
  However, there was one song on the track I could not stop listening to. "Who's Laughing Now?" is the story of how Jessie was bullied as a young girl because she was different. For example, she says:

 

"Well they pull my hair, they took away my chair

I keep it in and pretend that I didn't care

Hey Jessica, you're so funny

You've got teeth just like Bugs Bunny"

  All these mean people used to bully her simply because she was different. However, when she describes what happened after she became famous, it nearly made my chin drop.

 

"Oh, Jessie, I saw you on YouTube

I tagged old photos from when we was at school
Oh, so you think you know me now

Have you forgotten how

You would make me feel

When you drag my spirit down?
But thank you for the pain

It made me raise my game

And I'm still rising, I'm still rising, yeah
So make your jokes, go for broke

Blow your smoke, you're not alone

But who's laughing now?"

    All of those people who made fun of her now want to be friends with her because she's famous. But Jessie, instead of being bitter, thanks them for the pain they gave her because it gave her motivation to do better and write hits.
   I think we can all learn a lesson from Jessie J. Even though school was hard and the kids mean, it only gave her motivation for what she has accomplished. Actually she thanks them, so one day we will too. If you're going through a hard time, remember Jessie's lesson: hold your head high and one day they will be begging to know you and will regret how mean they were.
If you want to listen to the song, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsxSxF3JKeU&feature=related

Princess Sarah

   My grandmother came to America as a young girl and most of her family still lives in England. Naturally, that makes my entire family Anglophiles. We love everything in the British Isles. So, naturally, the Royal Family is also a major discussion topic amongst us. We faithfully watched the Royal Wedding last year and love William and Kate.
  But they are not the Royal I want to discuss today with you. No, I want to tell you about Princess Sarah Ferguson , also known as Princess Fergie.
  Back in 2002, she came to my state to promote her new line of chinaware she had designed. My mother took my two brothers and myself to go meet her. Being an eight year old girl, I was beyond excited to meet "a real-life princess".  So my mother dressed all of us in our best and we travelled to the store where she was to meet her.
  Unfortunately, the princess was swarmed with reporters and the man at the front told us to go away; the princess didn't have time for us. I burst into tears, I had been so excited to meet her.
  What we didn't know was that Princess Sarah had heard the whole thing and heard my tears. She stood up and parted the crowds and reprimanded the man saying, "Let the children come and meet me".  She brought us up to the front and gave us a teddy bear each and signed plates for all of us.  She was incredibly kind  and I will never forget that day.
   Since then, I have heard many negative things about the Princess.  I don't know if those things are true or not, but I will never forget how that woman who  could have turned us away instead made an eight year old's dream come true by simply spending time with me.  I can't see her in a negative light because of how kind she was to me.
   I think sometimes Aspies are seen in the light of Princess Sarah, and sometimes we make assumptions about people we do not know just because of what we have heard about them. The lesson I took from the Princess was never to judge someone because of what others say about them, because they may be an unbelievable person and you simply do not know them.  I know we, too,  are looked at in a negative light sometimes, but we can also take a hint from the princess: do not let it bother you, and hold your head high, because that way you will be the winner in the end.  I hope you can learn from Princess Sarah as I did, because it is truly one of the best lessons.

Voting

  As I recently turned eighteen, I now have a say in my country's government. It is important that young people voice their opinions. People before us have fought, died, and risked their lives so that we could have a say, and we should never just throw that opportunity away.
  The most important example of a group of  men who had this willingness to die and sacrifice themselves I think is America's Founding Fathers. I mean, even my British readers should give them some credit. At the end of the Declaration of Independence, they pledged one another their lives and their honor as gentlemen so America could be free. You have to admit that it took some guts to do that.
   The man who crafted these words was no idiot bumpkin himself. He was Thomas Jefferson: a brilliant, quiet, and thoughtful man who became America's third president. Though not one to stand in the front of a room and speak (he was rather soft spoken), he could write exceptionally well and that was why he was chosen to write the Declaration in the first place.
   A little known fact is that many experts today believe Jefferson had Asperger's Syndrome. It's not very hard to believe: a quiet genius who managed to double the size of America during his presidency. It would take an exceptional man to do that, and Jefferson did it. He was also far more casual than his predecessors: he often met people for issues in his bathrobe and slippers and walked to his inauguration.
  So, in this voting season, keep in mind Thomas Jefferson. The man fought for what he believed in in every way he knew how and became one of the most popular presidents today. I cannot not vote because I know a fellow Aspie fought to give me the right to vote, and I, for one, am not going to disappoint him.

The Teenage...Vampire?

    Our culture today seems to be obsessed with vampires.  From the sparkling vampires of Twilight, the terror of Bram Stoker's Dracula, to the kid movies of Hotel Transylvania and The Little Vampire, vampires seem to be everywhere these days. And why not? They make great characters with interesting morals: in Dracula, Stoker makes his title character the evil bloodsucker who preys on innocent human life, yet in the more modern takes on vampires, they can be friendly, even reluctant vampires . It's quite the question: who exactly are these vampires? What makes them who they are?
   Sometimes, I feel like being an Aspie is a lot like being a vampire. No, no, we don't drink blood. That's not what I meant. I mean that there are a lot of representations about Aspies that are false out there in the world, so many people don't know exactly what to make of us because they are presented with so much mixed information.  Some people, for example, just lump Asperger's with autism. However, we are in our own special category with our own odd quirks and interesting ideas. See what I mean?
   While we may never know the correct 'definition' of an Aspie, like we will never quite be able to 'define' vampires, I think we can go out and try to help people understand. You truly can never know someone until you talk to them and start learning. I think the world could learn a great deal from us, but first we have to show them the correct representation of who we are. We are not the stupid, sparkly vampires of Twilight or the ruthless Count Draculas the world sometimes makes us out to be but the kind and often misunderstood 'vampires' who only want to be like you.  We can prove to be steadfast friends, loyal students, and interested intellectuals...someone you would enjoy knowing . Just give us a try.

P.S. If you have not heard of and want to see these movies (The Little Vampire and Hotel Transylvania) or read Dracula, I highly recommend them.