The chicken nugget story

I was cooking small pieces of chicken in a frying pan tonight and suddenly had a memory. My mom used to make chicken nuggets. One summer weekend, when Nate was four or five, we had a large number of extended family over. Several aunts, uncles and cousins were seated around the dining room table. We had chicken nuggets.

Nate was a very easy going kid with a contagious laugh. He didn't call much attention to himself and went with whatever his older siblings were doing. That night, however, Nate suddenly made an announcement, a way of saying "hey I'm here, look at me." Instead of eating his chicken nuggets, he started putting them on his head.

Cousins were laughing hysterically. Nate, clearly enjoying himself, put more chicken nuggets on his head. Now the adults were laughing. Mom was trying to get the grease out of his hair. Nate was grinning at his own spark of spontaneity.

A good memory, made me smile (:

Epilepsy

A couple of years a go I heard “Bring me to Life” on the radio by Evanescence and was introduced to a great singer Amy Lee and a great band. I really liked this song and I had to get “Fallen” (albums name). I remember listing to it down on vacation in Virginia Beach. “The Open Door” is the name of there new album, coming out two years ago, never getting the live album “Anywhere but Home”. The Open Door is another great album and I believe Amy lee wrote all the songs by her self this time. Checking the webpage www.evanescence.com I notice something I wanted to check out.

Epilepsy is her Foundation found under Community on the webpage. Reading all of Understanding Epilepsy I now know what it is. “Effecting about 2.7 million people have it and nearly 181,000 are diagnosed every year”. I gave you pretty much the line from the Understanding Epilepsy page; visit the webpage to learn more. There is two links one at the bottom where it says this webpage is presenting by and at the end of the Understanding Epilepsy article. Out of the shadows is the name of it because people don’t know what it is, maybe this will help.

Dream A Little

I wonder what it would be like if all the young adults suffering from some aspect of the Autism Syndrome would connect with each other. Maybe create a community where they could be together......with independent jobs, maybe, and a room of their own, but a community space, too, where they could play video games and listen to music and watch favorite t.v. shows. Maybe a counselor on hand who could gently guide them if life got complicated and if they needed some help to cope. Dream with me.......there are millions of you out there. Feeling frustrated and alone, helpless to make life the way you want it because there is nothing out there for you. Wanting to leave home and break away from your parents but not really feeling able to do that - financially, emotionally. LET'S UNITE!!!! LET'S CONNECT! LET'S TALK!!!!!!

Answers

1) Funny, nice, charming, musician, sensitive

2) I imagine five years from now that I will have a wife or a girlfriend and a likeable job

3) The battle of the ages, It will be a close fight with blood and some deep wounds. The setting will be a pirate ship because the ninja lost the rock paper scissors. It was done quickly and it was not a friendly game. I say the Ninja wins because the pirate wouldn’t know what a Chinese star is. He’ll be like “what is these, arrrr you kidding me?” The pirate loses and sinks down in the ocean.

4) I have to say my favorite show is Smallville because of the action and the deep drama. I’m also a Superman fan, I have the recent movie.

5) This was pretty tough but I came up with an answer. My favorite song is “Give In To me” by Michael Jackson off of “Dangerous”

6) I want them to understand about me and people like me are that we need friendships and relationships just like anyone else. We just have trouble getting it for ourselves but we’re just like everyone.

Questions for Nate

1) What are five words you would use to describe yourself?

2) What do you imagine your life being like in five years?

3) If a ninja and a pirate got into a fight, who would win?

4) What's your favorite tv show and why?

5) What's your favorite song and why?

6) What's the first thing you would want people to understand or know about HFA?

Not a weakness

Nate, your entries warm my heart. I want to say that I don't believe H.F.A is a weakness. Our biggest challenge in life makes us who we are. Each day that we face it, we become stronger. Everyone has something, no matter what. Your something is high functioning Autism.

I marvel at how our somethings- your H.F.A and my hearing loss- though very different things, often have a very similar outcome. We both get left out often and we both wish we connected with people more and made friends more easily.

Diagnoses and labels are a curious thing. Seems to be something that has evolved in our society to categorize everyone who doesn't fit in the way they are 'supposed' to. Would Nate have become isolated and fallen through the cracks two hundred years ago? I seriously doubt it. He'd probably be working on a farm or in a small rural town where the community looks out for him, supports him, and see him as an endearing and unique person.

Nate, I am so happy to see you writing. Three posts already. I started to worry last night after your first post that maybe you wouldn't be able to post again. I worried that it might become something that you focused on so much, trying to write it just the way you wanted to, that you wouldn't be able to enjoy it. I don't want it to be something that keeps you up at night.

I think one of the hardest traits of H.F.A is the perseverating that creates an intense cycle of anxiety and worry. Often people with H.F.A will stress over experiences and things people said or did that may not even register with someone without H.F.A. My hope is that this blog is always something comfortable and interesting for Nate. If it is otherwise, I hope he'll write about that too.

Just a Weakness

When the day is all done and you’re lying in your bed. You’re thinking about why am I like this? Day to day you avoid people, saying you don’t need them until your crying inside. The uncertainly of who you are but you’re not alone. High Functioning Autism creeps up on more and more people. There is hope in the air and it's not snow flakes but that does make me happy. You will make friends if you learn how to communicate and look into peoples eyes. Everyone has a weakness and H.F.A is just one of them. Weaknesses can be overcome so dust of the dust. You can start lifting weights and exercises and you will feel good about yourself. Go out there and be great and make friends.