smells

Hello, I have autism which includes sensory sensitivities, including sensitivity to smell.  When my spouse and I visited Lotusland botanic garden this summer, one of the other guests on a tour was wearing perfume.  I was angry because I was there to experience a place.  Plants and the earth have a distinctive smell that I… Continue reading smells

uncouth

“Can I give you some feedback?” I asked my spouse Ming.  I wanted to tell him how he had been uncouth.  “It’s negative feedback.  Two of them.” “Sure,” he said. Ming is the only person I’ve ever known who actually wants feedback about what he’s doing and how he made a mistake.  Most people seem… Continue reading uncouth

soldering irons

Boxes are open and materials are being packed into them, chaotic indoor scene with bare bulletin boards.

I was looking for info on soldering irons to share with a friend.  She came over to help me pack for an hour (I’m moving) and asked, “What’s this thing?” “It’s a soldering iron!” I said. “What’s it do?” she asked. “It melts a little bit of metal, to join things together.  It’s kind of… Continue reading soldering irons

diagnosis

I had a friend who was struggling with his needs and differences, so he was seeking diagnosis.  He’d been homeless for a while, and getting on disability seemed a great idea for a source of income.  Diagnosis would be part of that. Maybe he had autism–maybe he had something else.  Psychiatrists and other doctors had… Continue reading diagnosis

Thunder Junction All Abilities Park

  My supportive spouse Ming and I visited Thunder Junction All Abilities Park in St George, Utah.  I was unprepared for how much fun I would have there and how much food for thought I would eat.  Yum yum! I loved the egg shells to rest in.  Ming went in an egg shell and let… Continue reading Thunder Junction All Abilities Park

disabled comedy

all bodies are valid bodies

Hello!  I watched this stand up comedy by Josh Blue, a person who has cerebral palsy.  I liked the jokes about disability best.  And the jokes about homelessness.  Seems important to laugh about these serious concepts, to transform shame and silence into joyful insight. I had a good friend when I was young who has… Continue reading disabled comedy

example

spouse Ming wearing his blue narcolepsy shirt. Asian non-binary person squats by the street smiling. His shirt says, "Don't worry--it's just narcolepsy, and this is my normal napping position."

Hello, I wanted to clarify that the posts I made about the incident in the rose garden aren’t actually about this one incident or my one life.  I’m 45 years old, and my needs have been violated over and over again for 45 years, to the point of trauma and real lasting harm. The rose… Continue reading example