I'm Back

Hello everyone,
I haven't been blogging lately due to Tumblr. It's as addictive as any social media. If that sounds bad, it's because it is. I tried to give up Tumblr for Lent, then I thought I'd limit myself to 30 minutes a day, but I haven't been keeping track of the time I spend on Tumblr at all. Hours are wasted. Productivity is postponed to a later date or lost to oblivion. Today I have promised myself that I will NOT get on Tumblr at all.

Here's some exciting news: I'm going to London over spring break! I'm so excited! I'll be sure to post pictures (none of myself, but plenty of the sights/adventures). I'll be doing lots of Doctor Who and Sherlock things as well as all the usual tourist activities. Any suggestions you may have are welcome! I'm hoping to find a police box. ;-)

Vision update (if you're just here for the fun stuff you can skip this paragraph): I appear to have lost about half of my peripheral vision in my right eye. That seems like a lot, but I didn't have much in the first place anyway, so it really isn't that much. I haven't had it officially tested- I'm getting a peripheral vision test in December- but I'm pretty sure that that vision is actually gone. I can still see light in the area I lost, but not shapes or colors. I'm planning on going to the Colorado School for the Blind program this summer to learn how to be independent without vision! (I was already planning this before my vision change, it's just starting to be official.) It's 8 weeks long, so it will pretty much take up the whole summer break. I've never been that far away from home alone, and certainly never for that long. I think it will be a great opportunity to learn some independence and general life skills, and also to meet other teens my age with similar vision problems.

I promise I'll try to start blogging more regularly. I just need to stop trying to solve writer's block with Tumblr- it gives the illusion of productivity when all I'm doing is wasting time.

Until next time,

Semper Fidelis

Christmas and Asperger's

Christmas is a week from today! I'm excited, but I'm also stressed. Why is that? Part of having OCD means that my brain responds to excitement and stress the same way- by feeling nervous and sometimes even panicky.

You've probably seen some sort of "How to Keep Kids with Autism from being Overwhelmed at Christmas" article, but what about Asperger's? (I cannot speak for the entire Aspie community. I'm not an expert, so this is about my own experience.) I don't get as overwhelmed by sounds and other sensory input as someone with more severe autism might. However, parties with large groups of people are hard for me because I don't always know everyone and I am not good at "small talk". Quite honestly, I don't see the point of small talk- why repeat socially scripted responses when you could have an original conversation? But that's just me.

I'd like to think that Asperger's does not inhibit my ability to buy thoughtful presents for my friends and family. Besides the fact that I have to shop for parents without either one knowing what I'm getting them, I never have much trouble getting gifts for them. I show gratitude for gifts in a different way than most people (not as excitedly, but still sincerely), but my parents know this and know that I am very grateful even if I express it differently.

I hope you all have happy holidays whatever you are celebrating, and as little stress as possible!

Passion, Brant Hansen, and the Holidays

Everyone is passionate about something. Most people are passionate about more than one thing. I'm not talking about life goals or mission statements, I'm talking about fun. That thing you just love that maybe you don't see another purpose to except for fun. That's what fandoms are to fangirls (and fanboys). We're not weird, we're just passionate about something different.

Aspies can be even more passionate than Neuro-typicals (the official term for people who do not have Asperger's or autism). Whereas NT's are interested in lots of things at once, Aspies can devote their full attention to obsessing over one or two topics. We are less widely obsessed, but more deeply.

Brant Hansen is a Christian who has a radio show/podcast and a blog. He is awesome and funny, and he has Asperger's too! Here is a link to his website so you can check it out:
http://branthansen.com/

Thanksgiving was just two days ago, which means that it is officially the holiday season. I've already had my first Sausage Cheeseballs of the year and watched Muppet Christmas Carol! What are your favorite holiday traditions?

Until next time,

Semper Fidelis

Painting

This is a poem I initially wrote for a scholarship contest, but I thought I'd post it here because it matches the message of my blog. Let me know what you think!

Painting

It’s so much easier to be a part than a whole,

A piece of a puzzle that’s already solved.

But one piece can’t be a picture

Can’t be understood

Without the others.

What if you were a painting-

Priceless, unique-

Would you paint over yourself

To match another’s idea of you?

Absurd.

I wouldn’t.

But we do. The world tells us

To be special, individual

But not weird.

Weird is bad.

So we hide.

What is the point of a museum

Where every painting is the same?

If the paintings would uncover themselves

We could be beautiful.

Together.

Weird is good.

A Quick Update

Hi everyone,
I just want to say that I'm so sorry I haven't posted in a while. I was going to try to start posting once a week so you could check regularly for posts, but my computer broke and I have only now figured out a reliable way to blog from my phone or iPad.

I've started school! It's my first time going to public school, and it's going great so far.

I recently watched the episode of Doctor Who called "Blink". Without spoiling anything, I'm just going to say it was amazing! (By the way, please don't spoil any Doctor Who things in the comments, even if it's from an older season. I'm still catching up, and I know some other people are too.)

What would you like to see from my blog? Now that I can actually start to write more regularly, I would appreciate any ideas you have to make my blog a more interesting place for you!

Until next time,

Semper Fidelis

Conquering the Cane

It's one thing to be blind. It's another to look blind.

Let me explain. We all have things we're embarrassed about or ashamed of, but imagine if that was what you had to use to introduce yourself. The first thing anyone noticed about you. Having a cane feels like wearing a T-Shirt that says "I'm blind and I can't get places on my own. Please help me because I'm not an independent person!"

I want to be independent. I want to look independent. Having a cane makes me have to face the reality that yes, I do need help sometimes. It's hard for me to ask for help because, quite honestly, I'm embarrassed.

With the cane, I actually need less help than I would without it. I don't trip as much because the cane is "looking" down for me, so I can use the vision I have to scan my upper surroundings and avoid bumping into people. Also, the cane alerts others that I probably can't see them, which is both embarrassing and helpful. If I do bump into someone, they are much more forgiving if they have proof that I actually couldn't see them.

I'm about to start the school year at a new school, so I'll be in a new and unfamiliar environment almost every day. I will have to use my cane much more often than I'm used to, so I need to get comfortable with it now. My new school has a lot more services for the visually impaired than my previous school did, so I will be able to learn a lot of ways to be independent as I'm losing my vision.

Has anyone else in the low vision community dealt with this feeling about the cane? No matter what you're going through, you're never the only one!

Until next time,

Semper Fidelis

Obsessions and a One-Year Anniversary

It has been exactly one year since I started this blog. In honor of that, I think it's time to introduce you to two of my latest obsessions: Sherlock and Doctor Who.

But before I do that, I need to tell you something important. I'm a Christian. No, I don't hate you if you aren't. No, I'm not going to throw Bible verses at you and tell you how you're living your life wrong. But being a Christian is a huge reason why this blog is important to me. I will probably use Scripture from time to time to explain what I believe and why. Nonetheless, this is still just a blog about what it is to be a Chronically Unique Teen. However, if you have any questions about Christianity, I am happy to answer them.

 I'm sure you've heard of Sherlock Holmes: legendary fictional detective introduced to this world by the books of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. There have been many movies, TV shows, and remakes over the ages, but the particular Sherlock I'm obsessing over is a newer show by BBC. Why the obsession? Because it's perfectly cast, masterfully written, and beautifully quirky. If you don't know who Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are, look them up now. If you start watching the show (which I highly recommend you do), start at the beginning. Let me know when you're hooked! :-)

I've been hearing about Doctor Who for a while, but I only recently started watching it. I keep asking myself why I didn't start watching it sooner because it is amazing! If you enjoy Sherlock, science fiction, and quirky humor, what are you waiting for? I still haven't figured out what the best starting point is. After skipping around a lot, I'm currently on Season 1 of the newer version of the show (there's also one from the 60's, but I haven't even found that yet). Long-time Doctor Who fans, where did you start?

Fandom people (and others who are interested in my blog), I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment, and feel free to share!