I took this on my Panasonic Lumix while on a day trip to Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, IL. The tranquility and ability to focus through my photography was a welcome reprieve from autistic angst. To see more of my nature photos, please visit my Google+ page: https://plus.google.com/u/0/113187447510686785935/about
Through autisticaplanet’s eye. To see more of my nature photos, please visit my Google+ page: https://plus.google.com/u/0/113187447510686785935/about
On Friday, June 7, I had the privilege of visiting Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, IL. This is as close to Japan as I will ever get. It is 12 acres of nature and plentiful photo opportunity. Following are some images I captured. To see more of my images, please visit my Google+ page: https://plus.google.com/u/0/113187447510686785935/about Read the rest of this entry »
Taken at Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, IL (USA). Used shutter speed of/15.
According to the Chicago Tribune, a 14 year-old “severely autistic” boy was stabbed to death inside his apartment this last weekend.
Photo Courtesy of Microsoft
The thing about social networking is that there are way too many “cables” to keep track of. I am not a fan of socializing in broad terms, and I’m fine with that. I do, however, use Google plus for sharing my photos and am in their “Google Photographer’s” group. I have this site for blogging and YouTube for video blogging. I rarely visit there anymore. I am much more comfortable writing.
I wish that there were some centralized place where e-mail as well as social sites, (not to mention all the subscriptions and updates) could be seen and displayed orderly as opposed to bookmark tabs below the browser. It creates much stress for me if I have to jam a bunch of information into the one “port” that serves as my mono-task, single-focus, one-track mind.
To make myself sound old, perhaps beyond my years, I’m not so “hot” about computers. That’s not to say I’m against them. There is a level of convenience e-mail and downloading music provides. It is good to help people and to freely share my work without censorship/exclusion. But cyberspace has become over-socialized. Some people on the spectrum like it, because there’s no face-to-face contact. I have found that only creates monsters. Put some safety-checkpoints in place and the jerks are weeded out. I also find out how few will post much at all. I only mention this as observatory.
I like watching programs on TV. I do not like watching them online. My desktop lags and the sound is just not the same. Sitting still is also impossible for more than 15 minutes. My balance will get off and I will feel like I’m riding an elevator. I often feel depressed after logging off-even if I have been doing non-internet things like typing up Bible study notes. I feel as though I’m running behind and missing out.
I find myself keyed up and wonder if others feel this way on top of an obligation to be there for all their social media friends as well as the real life ones. No wonder we are a stressed out people-and under-active.
As I get older, the less need I have for socialization. I have need for contacts who can help me achieve what I need and make the most out of time I have with family members who are aging. This goes for the internet as well. I want to help people through posting picture devotionals and personal narratives regarding Asperger’s, but I don’t want to make chit-chat and join communities. I liken myself to poet Emily Dickinson, who wished to be kind to the neighbor children, but did not feel inclined to intermingle directly. She would lower baked-goods from the 2nd story of her home in a basket to them below. A side-note: I went to school with one of her descendants. She not only looked like her, but was shy as well. She had friends though. My need for peer socialization was stronger 20 years ago but has faded with time.
The rest of what I do publicly is for the betterment of my photography.
The virtual is an extension of our real lives, for better and for worse. If my Asperger’s nature of not wanting to do the social part of networking is hard for the neurotypical community to understand, know that it is a misunderstanding of a larger issue-that some on the autism spectrum simply are not wired social while others struggle and want to be social.
I focus more on reading the Bible and my photography. The best time I could spend with anyone is the Lord. He has blessed me with the ability to detect and record (in my own interpretation) images in nature. I love to be outside, moving. When indoors, i like to be watching something or listening to music, but always rocking. Too much time on my PC and I feel my life slipping away.
Side note: MAAP Services is having an art show in June, and president Susan Moreno approached me, asking if I would submit some of my work. It was a great honor to be part of a showing, and to help benefit autism research. I pray it is a success. If you are interested in attending, contact MAAP (www.aspergersyndrome.org). 1 in 55 people of all ages now have an ASD according to the CDC.
Do you feel the same way? Whether or not you are on the autistic spectrum, I would be interested out of curiosity to read your comments.
Written
on June 14, 2013