Month: July 2023
The Hot Take: ADA at 33
The Hot Take: Disabled, Yet Proud #disabilitypride #disabilityawareness #autismacceptance
Burnout: One Year Later
I want to thank you all, Dear Readers, for supporting me during this time of post-Autistic Burnout reflection. This is a continuation of my previous post on Autistic burnout, which you can see here:https://theautisticsuperblog.wordpress.com/2023/01/06/behind-the-burnout/
During this time, I’ve rediscovered myself, seeing myself in a much better light. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve discovered how important my poetry is to my emotions, how I use poetry to delve deeper into myself.
I always knew I was good at my poetry, but never realized how important poetry is to me. That alone has been a game changer for me, as other poets have noticed that my delivery has improved, how I project what the words mean to me.
I’m actually working on my self love poem, it’s just thinking of how to make it work but I think I’m onto something. When I complete it, I’ll be sure to share it here.
I’ve also realized how important my free time is to me. It’s never fun to feel as if you’re on pins and needles, never having some real time to get “off stage.” If you’re a fellow Spectrumite, you know how that feels, after a while, your social battery, your energy in general, your creative energy (and your reserves) just get drained.
Being able to get “off stage” and just be able to recharge, to do what energizes you feels so needed, something that I don’t want to forget to do, ever. It honestly feels like a vacation, or the closest you feel like a vacation (without going over, of course.)
Something else that being in Burnout has forced me to do is realize how hard I am on myself. I’m working on being kinder to myself, to pat myself in the back more often. Being hard on myself is such a tough habit to break, but I’m working on it. That being said, I could use some advice on how to get better at it.
If this is the beginning of turning the corner on my Autistic Burnout, then I’m looking forward to the future, but I want to say that I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. I know I mentioned it before, but Autistic burnout is utter hell, simply put.
So, please, know you’re not alone in your struggles, know that Hope rocks and, as always…
Shine On!!!
The Power of The Prompt: Question 21
What strategies do you use to increase comfort in your daily life?
This one, Dear Readers, is a prompt that I feel that I needed some time to think about. After doing so, I was able to think of only a couple of strategies that give me comfort in my daily life.
First, I know I’ve made it clear how important my poetry is to me, but I never realized until dealing with Autistic burnout how much my poetry was helping me deal with my emotions. I guess that’s why I rely on my poetry so much and it’s something that I feel is precious to me.
Thanks to the advice of a wonderful friend, I’ve found myself wearing noise cancelling headphones around my home. Much in the same way that I wear my headphones when I’m doing The Hot Take, I wear my headphones after a long day in order to decompress, to help me focus on my chores as well as the task at hand.
I’ve also realized that being kind to myself is something that I need to do more often, both at work and in my personal life. In the past, I’ve been very hard on myself and I know I’m not alone.
Neurotypicals have no idea how hard it is to fit into their world, or having to work twice as hard to fit in at the cost of whom they are. That’s what I’ve been doing and I feel the need to change that, to show that I do belong.
Even though I need to be kind to myself and rest when I need to, I try to get things done on my days off, but the pressures not there, it’s like the weight of the world is off my shoulders. I get my chores done, I go for a drive, I take care of things I need to get done, but driving for me is a strategy for me. It’s how I kept sane during the midst of the Coronavirus chaos and it’s something I don’t take for granted, ever.
My recent episode of Autistic burnout has made me realize how important my strategies are to me. How much they all mean to me to help me deal with this crazy world and I do see that now.
So, there we have it, another prompt done, so until next post, stay safe, stay strong and, as always…
Shine On!!!!
The Hot Take: A Purely “Elemental” Review
The Power of the Prompt: Question 20
What makes a teacher great?
First of all, Dear Readers, I need to see the questions I’ve answered during this Power of the Prompt Series and all I can say is, wow, just wow!! It’s so amazing to me for see how many questions I’ve answered so far.
That leads me to answering my 20th Question of this series, which for me is a very easy one.
To me, what makes a teacher great is their ability to inspire their students, to make sure they know that they matter, period. A teacher is someone who is on the students sides, that validates their feelings and celebrates their accomplishments. A teacher never gives up on anyone, not one because they know that they matter and that they can make a difference.
If only someone gives them a chance, like a teacher.
I should know, I’ve had many teachers who didn’t give up on me. I could name them all, but they know whom they are and I want to thank them. That being said, I would like to highlight one in particular, one who embodied what it means to be a teacher. It helps that he came from a family of teachers and coaches.
He cares about his community, he cares about his former students and he knows full well that Hope Rocks. His name is Joe Defino Jr, he’s someone that I’ve mentioned before, but I do so to stress the impact he’s had on my life. He’s helped me see the good sides to me many times and his family has done the same.
If one wanted to be a teacher, in my opinion, you need to empower those whom you work with, just as Joe did with so many.
So another prompt down, until next post, stay strong, stay safe and as always….
Shine On!!
The Power of the Prompt: Question 19
On what subject(s) are you an authority?
This prompt, Dear Readers, is a tough one for me, mostly because I don’t consider myself an authority on much. That being said, if I consider my hobbies something I’m an authority of, then I guess that this prompt becomes easier.
So, here’s my answer to the prompt in question.
I like to consider myself an authority when it comes to being Autistic (or #ActuallyAutistic), obviously. When I write about my experiences, I tell it using my words, my feelings and my emotions.
I like to consider myself an authority on game shows, using my game show lingo to explain things easily to others, even my best friends. That lingo is my quirkiness, I guess, but it makes sense to me.
I also like to consider myself an authority (albeit minor compared to others) in poetry. Again, I feel that my authority is minor compared to others, but I like to think of myself to be an authority on poetry. I always feel bad when I get a question wrong on poetry on Jeopardy! It makes me feel so dumb to get something wrong on something I enjoy.
That being said, I do my best to be as best an authentic authority on my hobbies, despite knowing that there are others better than I am.
So, with another prompt done, that’s all I can say, so until next post, stay safe, stay strong and as always…
Shine On!!
(Repost) Poetry Packed Out: A Celebration of Two Birthdays!
Happy Fourth of July to those who celebrate, Dear Readers!! The first of this doubleheader post is due to a poem I wrote several years ago when I was watching the local fireworks display. For me, at least, it always brought back images of wars, both historical and otherwise.
The other reason for this double-decker post is to celebrate a wonderful friends’ birthday. This is the same fantastic person whom I went with to see Billy Joel in the repost I did earlier. He’s been, what Bob Barker would say, “a loyal friend and true” when it comes to supporting me in my trials and just being there to listen when I needed to vent. The fact that he’s also a Muppets fan also helped me bridge the two occasions together in the Muppets tribute to the Fourth.
So, despite the wars we face, today is a day to celebrate what we find important in our lives everyday building bridges and helping others….
Shine On!! Happy Birthday!!
A Plug For A Poetry Barn
I know, Dear Readers, that this is something that’s unusual, but I wouldn’t do something like this if I didn’t like the mission or support it.
Such is the case with Poetry Barn, which I attended for an open mic and a featured reader, one that lived in residence for a week prior. As a poet, it was an oasis of poetic forms and inspiration, especially as I’ve mentioned how much my poetry means to me.
As I looked around the Poetry Barn, I was enjoying how many fellow poets shared of themselves. I enjoyed feeling the inspiration of seeing so many books inside. It’s due to that inspiration that I wanted to do a plug for The Poetry Barn and I ask you all to please support Lissa, Chris and those who love poetry, myself included.
I wanted to thank Lissa and Chris for hosting the open mic reading recently. I had a wonderful time and I hope to return sometime soon.
Until next post, Dear Readers, stay safe, stay strong, and as always….
Shine On (Creatively!)
The Autistic SuperBlog 