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Piece #110 - My Complex Discernment of Concrete versus Abstract


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!!!!


















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