I work with autistic individuals. Communication is a tricky thing for a lot of people on the autism spectrum. Some of them don't speak, some make noises, others are fully articulate. It shows me a lot about what we fail to recognize. For example: spoken words make sense to most of my clients, but they'd never pick up on facial expressions, and I suspect tone goes over their heads.
Imagine not comprehending hand gestures, or raised voices...
What's that got to do with anything? Well, it keeps it in mind that not everybody sees things with the same perspective. More over, that we often just can't understand/relate/empathize with everyone.
The way my head is now is radically different than from 5 years ago. I see the world completely differently, and a large part of that is because of how much healthier I've become.
The way that pain can limit your ability to think is ridiculous. When you see people on the street that just can't function, you can bet they're dealing with some hurt.
It keeps me thinking a lot about an old friend who I can't stand. The guy has been battling drugs for a long time, and his dad passed away earlier this year. I feel like I should call him cause we used to be tight, but I can't stand how he treats people. I know he's hurting, but what if he gets better, would he somehow come out of it without just being the same disrespectful, sadistic guy?
It's possible that on the path to healing he'd be humbled and change dramatically. But no one wants to be humbled, and I suspect his pride has a lot to do with why he's so mad at the world. Feeling like you're entitled to anything is the first step to being disappointed.
Then angry, then maybe that rage feels impotent, so you get depressed. And the cycle continues.
So I tell myself this guy would destroy me. Because it's the truth. Or at least it was. But there's always more than one person in every head and that same waste of a human also has his virtues, he cares, and he protects.
So I generally justify my choice to not communicate by remembering that I just don't like the guy. And any action on my part would be half-assed and insincere.
Imagine not comprehending hand gestures, or raised voices...
What's that got to do with anything? Well, it keeps it in mind that not everybody sees things with the same perspective. More over, that we often just can't understand/relate/empathize with everyone.
The way my head is now is radically different than from 5 years ago. I see the world completely differently, and a large part of that is because of how much healthier I've become.
The way that pain can limit your ability to think is ridiculous. When you see people on the street that just can't function, you can bet they're dealing with some hurt.
It keeps me thinking a lot about an old friend who I can't stand. The guy has been battling drugs for a long time, and his dad passed away earlier this year. I feel like I should call him cause we used to be tight, but I can't stand how he treats people. I know he's hurting, but what if he gets better, would he somehow come out of it without just being the same disrespectful, sadistic guy?
It's possible that on the path to healing he'd be humbled and change dramatically. But no one wants to be humbled, and I suspect his pride has a lot to do with why he's so mad at the world. Feeling like you're entitled to anything is the first step to being disappointed.
Then angry, then maybe that rage feels impotent, so you get depressed. And the cycle continues.
So I tell myself this guy would destroy me. Because it's the truth. Or at least it was. But there's always more than one person in every head and that same waste of a human also has his virtues, he cares, and he protects.
So I generally justify my choice to not communicate by remembering that I just don't like the guy. And any action on my part would be half-assed and insincere.
Comments
Post a Comment