Titanium

   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.

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.

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.

Personality Wins

    A week after I was born, my mother brought me into the office so she could show me off to her coworkers. Naturally, most of them said I was cute and congratulated my mother. However, one woman was different from the rest. After looking at me for a while she turned to my mother and said: "My wish is that your daughter will be a plain Jane until she turns eighteen."
   My mother was taken aback. Who would wish that a child be plain for her most crucial years? The woman saw my mother's alarm and shook her head. "You didn't let me finish," she said, "I hope your daughter will be a plain Jane until she turns eighteen because then she will develop a personality."
   I want to find that woman and thank her one day. Not because she was  a great woman, but because she was right! People who 'peak' early on rarely have substance or something interesting to talk about. I remember one girl who had all the guys all over her explaining to our Geometry teacher how she couldn't do the homework of the previous evening because she was at the mall all night with her friends. The funny thing is, she actually believed it was a legitimate excuse.
    This girl had looks, but she had nothing to back it up. Aspies, I have been told by my friends, are entertaining and have good personalities. While these years may be difficult for us all, I have been told that pretty faces don't get one very far in life, but intelligence will. Aspies have intelligence and personalities that can (and will) get them very far in life. So while the popular and good looking may have everything now, just be patient aand bide your time. Personality wins out every single time.

What makes you... Aspies!

   Before all the male Aspies out there groan with the "I-hate-this-song" undertones, let me explain.  One Direction (for those of you who don't know) is a new British boy band whose songs have become pretty popular. Their biggest hit is called "What makes you Beautiful".
  While the song gets old pretty fast with guys (and some girls), I think that it could also be directed to the Aspies from the world in general. Yes, I have heard that they are supposed to be for a girl, but this can apply to all Aspies. Just look at the lyrics:

You're insecure

Don't know what for

   To some extent, most people are insecure, but with Aspies it is pretty much social insecurity that really gets us . The song continues:

I don't know why

You're being shy

And turn away when I look into your eyes

    Okay, if there is honestly a line more geared towards Aspies, let me know, because this I find to be undeniably true. Looking into someone's eyes as an Aspie feels like we are being robbed of our privacy that we so value. However , the most important lines Aspies really need to remember are these next ones:

Baby, you light up my world like nobody else...

But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell,

You don't know you're beautiful

   What Aspies really need to remember is that even in our darkest hour, we are beautiful. We are what the world may need the most of all. It is a true gift, what we have, and we shouldn't waste it. Keep in mind that one day we are the people who will light the world.

Why good teachers matter

    Let's face it: teachers are unavoidable in this life unless you live on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere. You must live with them for twelve or more years or until your formal education is complete. For this exact reason, it is very important to have very good teachers, especially for a person with Asperger's, where a teacher can mean all the difference.
   I am not saying that all teachers are fantastic. I know there are teachers out there who make a student's life a misery. When I was in fourth grade, for example, my teacher told my mother that I had no hope of graduating grade school and high school would be a lost cause and that I could never get into the high school that all the other girls could. Years later, she was proven wrong when I graduated grade school and got into the high school I wanted.
   My point is, not all teachers are great. But there is always that one teacher who you will never forget who helped you become who you are. My fifth grade science teacher, my eighth grade science teacher, my U.S. History teacher, and my Chemistry teacher were people who knew my difficulties and went above and beyond to help me, even though they did not have to do so. I have never been good at math, so my Chemistry teacher guided me through it and I am proud to say I made a solid A in her course because she was willing to go above and beyond to make sure I understood the material. My U.S. History teacher was the same, showing me I had a passion for history that was key to my success. My grade school science teachers were the same, guiding me through some very tough times.
    Wanting to be a better student makes teachers want to work with you through your difficulties. It's like my dad says: "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care". Showing that you are a dedicated student will make teachers go above and beyond, especially since you have Asperger's.

Why I love being an Aspie

    In honor of my 50th blog (Wow, this is crazy), I have decided to talk about why I love being an Aspie.

• The ability to rattle off facts about something I love and stunning everyone.
• Being a member of an elite clique that includes people like Thomas Jefferson, Jane Austen and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
• The ability to be able to think in a depth most people can't comprehend.
• My obsessions. All of them.
• Being different from the average person. Sometimes it is difficult, but it makes an Aspie memorable.
• The incredible people I have met who have changed my life in ways they will never be able to comprehend. I never would have met them without being who I  am and am daily thankful for the blessing of knowing them.
• This blog. Its help me to connect to other Aspies, and I am especially grateful for my readers. Thank you for everything.

   These are the reasons I love being an Aspie. And I cannot honestly say I would rather be anything else in the world. It makes me who I am, and helps those who want to change the world.