Thankfulness NOW

Being thankful. It’s the season for it. And here I am joining the long list of people opining about thankfulness. There is always a reason to be thankful. Always.

As trite as it sounds, this is more of a reminder, not a lecture.

We always seem to be seeking, to be searching for the NEXT thing. Chasing something bigger, something better. We’ve barely enjoyed the end of our last search that we’re currently experiencing. After all, it’s just a stepping stone on the way to what comes NEXT. And then that becomes a stepping stone to the NEXT, NEXT. A dog chasing his tale comes to mind.

What about NOW? It was once, NEXT. It was once our nirvana, the ultimate prize. And here we are living it, having it. NOW. It is fleeting and precious. Savor it. How we once dreamed of what it would be like! Breathe it in. Embrace it. Be thankful. There it is. Thankfulness. Also fleeting and precious. Lost to, if not NEXT, then to MORE.

Might I suggest to wallow in the thankfulness of NOW? NOW is the only guarantee we have. The NEXT might not arrive. The MORE might not materialize. Even if your NOW is not to your liking, you can choose to be thankful. Again trite. Still true. Don’t let circumstances decide for you how you feel. You choose. Choose joy. Choose gratitude. Choose life. NOW. The present is a gift.

Tritely, but truly yours

Noah

VOTE FOR UNITY

Today is Election Day here in the US. I’m privileged to live in a nation that gives me a right to vote, a right to have a say. This is a precious right not to be taken for granted. Many have died for us to have this right and many more around the world would probably kill for this right. So I am thankful for it. I treat it as a sacred responsibility.

Also a sacred responsibility is to treat our fellow citizens with kindness, courtesy, and respect regardless of political philosophy or persuasion. We can accept and enjoy others even if they think differently than us about local, national, and world policy.

I ask the world to accept my neurodiversity. It’s part of who I am, but not all of who I am.

It’s the same for a person’s political ideology; it’s but a bit of who they are.

We can find common ground rather than battleground. We can. It’s possible.

Noah

BLOWN AWAY

Over the last weeks I’ve been watching the virtual Innovations in Education Conference (presentations of revolutionary ideas for those with sensory, motor, and communication differences). I’m astounded to see the collective beauty of my fellow self advocates. Not that I’m surprised-I know that their hearts and missions are true-but I’m blown away by what they are accomplishing both personally and globally for all to benefit from. I am honored to be a peer and a fellow warrior. The world will take notice as we stand together.

As I’ve expressed, I personally have had to step away from the greater battle to heal myself. I had to be prepared and more whole to push forward and am ready now to do so. I’m so thankful that these incredible humans have forged ahead.

At first I felt left behind until I remembered that it’s certainly not about me, but about the greater cause of bringing acceptance and equality for non and minimal speakers. There is plenty of time and even more people who are unaware and need to be reached. Never did I wish that these advocates hadn’t achieved such heights. I only wished I had too: not for personal accolades, but to bring the neurotypical world out of the Autistic Dark Ages and to encourage those autistics still trapped there.

Comparing ourselves with others is never productive. That goes for neurodiverse and neurotypical alike. We are each such unique creations yet have more commonalities than we think. If our mentality was one of using our gifts collectively for the betterment of society rather than focusing on our differences and forcing sameness, we could all live more peacefully side by side. We can have differences but have common ground. There is no ‘better than’ or ‘worse’, just different. Different is beautiful.

All I can do is be the best me I can be and hope to leave a positive footprint. I have my own path to tread as do each of you. The footprints left by the

self advocates speaking at Innovations are huge and transformational. I look forward to witnessing and experiencing the change they usher in.