I very rarely start off any of my blog entries with a picture but,
this photo will illustrate a rather compelling discussion about my Asperger
brain. I can't think of a better example of just how complicated a small part
of concrete versus abstract is processed in my mind. I will do my best
to sort out the complete meaning behind this picture. There will be several odd
turns but, stick with me because this will actually make sense in the
end...plus if my wife gets it then we're good!
Defining Terms:
Completeness - The state or
condition of having all the necessary or appropriate parts.
Uniform - Identical or
consistent, as from example to example, place to place or moment to moment.
Commonality - The state of
sharing features or attributes.
The first area I want to
address is uniform. Of course, I'm not talking about an outfit; I'm talking
about consistency; the idea that flows smoothly from the top to the bottom. I
guess a good example is like looking at a baseball card, all the corners are
sharp and clean, the picture on the front and back are clear; the card as a
whole is complete. You can even get that card looked at by a professional
grading company that will determine the 'score' of the card in its perfection.
The baseball card grading is the best illustration I can give when I speak of
things having completeness or uniform. As you can see from the picture of the
bowls, they look the same but; the flow of the stack is grossly unorganized and
barely even stable before the dishware falls over. Ever since I was a kid, I
would try to stack the bowls as perfect as I could so they would line up like
the other dishes but, that was a rare feat and I remember getting angry when I
couldn't get them lined up just right.
The second area I need to touch
is completeness. One thing I can say is that all the bowls are not exactly the
same, they are all irritating. The bowls have all the same color, designs and
patterns but, the only real difference is wear of the bowls. What I mean by the
'wear' is that some of them have been chipped by the dish washer or other
accidents that where mostly likely my own doing. I believe I completely cracked
one of the bowls in half and still glued it back together, however, my mother noticed
it anyway and I got in trouble. I do remember only wanting a bowl that 'looked'
perfect for my cereal and if I grabbed a 'bad' bowl I would simply replace it.
If my mom was right there then she would get upset because to her it didn't
make any sense...just take the bowl you have in your hand! As an adult, I
understand her irritation because it does seem silly but, to a child with
Asperger's it means everything.
The third area is commonality.
This isn't the only set of bowls I own, there are a slightly smaller set with
handles on the side and even smaller bowls that work well for smaller amounts
of food. These two different sets of bowls have the same design and coloration
on the bowl, the stacking is much simpler and their shapes allow for a more complete
stack. I will many times see the similarities in completely different objects
and in a bit of a twisted way relate them together. An example of this would be
whenever I see different objects that have a solid black and yellow like a
couple of plastic storage boxes we own but, I honestly still look for the
batman emblem. Anything with that color sequence, I believe is some Batman
product. Ludicrous? Yes! but, my twisted brain goes there. Every time I watched
the opening to a 20th Century Fox movie, I believe I'll be watching Star Wars!
(Yes, I know they're a product of Disney...but it doesn't matter.) I will find
things that have no relation at all and I'll still try to make it fit anyway.
I hope this helps unlock a
little bit of my personal Asperger brain. You have to remember that not every
person with the disorder will be exactly same. Sadly, this example won't give
you a complete explanation of how my mind sorts through and thinks about the
things of this world. I just felt the stack of bowls seemed to have one of
those teachable moments in describing a little more of how I tick. I will admit
it is a little odd and crazy.
Song of Inspiration [Check it
out on iTunes or The Play Store!]:
Song: "Crazy"
Artist: Newsboys
Album: Love Riot
Here's the official video for the selected song!!!!
Comments
Post a Comment