The Day the Sky went Purple

The Day the Sky went Purple
By the Bold One-Eyed Pirate

Positivity isn’t an easy thing. It takes a lot of effort. I should know that it’s very hard. It’s not easy being autistic. Sometimes it’s so frustrating being in a body that won’t listen to me. I think the worst thing is, is that people don’t understand. It’s not much different to being a paraplegic because you can’t do much either way. It is annoying that people will be more sympathetic to someone in a wheelchair than to a person with autism. It irks me that people don’t treat me as if I can understand. Just because I make funny faces and walk a bit weird people think I’m mental. I also sometimes find it hard to make eye contact. It’s very uncomfortable to do so because it feels like I’m looking into someone’s past and it scares me. People are very complicated things. I wonder if it’s easier to look at their toes than their eyes. At least it’s simpler and might just smell a bit yuck.

What does it mean to be totally reliant on someone? It’s definitely not easy especially when they are so busy. But I don’t get mad like some people with autism do. I’m just grateful that I’ve found my voice, although it does sound a lot like my sister. But don’t get me wrong, I’m not a sissy. I do like pink but pink doesn’t mean I’m a girl. I think it’s silly that people think pink is a girly colour and that boys shouldn’t like pink. Pink is an acquired taste. You need the right shade not something like Barbie pink. That being said, I used to like Barbie when I was little. My sister was the one with the racing cars. Yes, we were quite different. But now I love Formula One racing cars especially the one driven by Michael Schumacher. I hope one day I can see a race for myself. It must be so thrilling!

Everyday I wonder to myself ‘Why am I like this?’ But that’s not always a sensible question to ask. That’s like asking why the sky’s blue or purple or black. I believe God has let me be like this for a reason. I think it’s to inspire people just like me. They must still be trapped. At least I’ve found my way out. That is hope already. The thing is, I don’t get why people get miserable about the silliest of things like missing a party or not having a girlfriend. They should be grateful that they have friends and that one day they’ll get married. I’m glad that I have a very loving family. They always encourage me to dream big and if I work hard, I can achieve anything.

It is great to be me. I can honestly say that. So be thankful for who you are. Don’t complain or whinge. You are more blessed than millions of people already.

So smile a bit more! But I don’t smile much – I’m trying to be cool but my sister says I’m just being weird. Oh well, just being myself. That’s the best place to be. No one’s more good at being you!

Peter the Great

Peter the Great
By the Bold One-Eyed Pirate

There once was a boy called Peter. He was very shy. He found it hard to make friends because of his painfully shy nature. He was so sad that he didn’t have many friends. He felt alone and painfully unhappy. It was so bad being alone. He wished that he could disappear. The days passed and he felt as if he could die. All he did all day was sleep, eat, walk around and produce stories. But it was no fun producing stories for no one.

One day he was walking down the street and he found a note. He was curious and picked it up from the ground. He was so scared when he read it. It said:

“I know you are very lonely. I know you write great stories but no one gets to read them. I think you should know that you are not alone. I know many people who are like you. Maybe you should find them. The end of message.”

Peter thought “Probably that was a trick. How could anyone produce a note like that?” It was crazy. The chances of him picking up such a note was so slim. It was incredible. I couldn’t believe it.

I went home feeling very happy. But I was caught in a dilemma. How could I possibly find someone like me? I was so shy that I couldn’t even say hi to the old lady next to the fence. How can I be that brave? I was afraid that people would think I’m weird. It would be terrifying. But that note, whoever wrote it, made me think. What if I don’t need to be alone? What if someone could read my stories and I could read theirs? It sounded too good to be true!

I thought to myself, “What have I got to lose? Better to have tried than to be miserable for the rest of my life.” So I did.

But not yet.

It took something else to happen first. And that something involved his sister. She had no idea that Peter was so bright. She never made him feel dumb though. She just never knew. It took ages before she found out. And how did she do that? By someone giving her a note too.

It said, “Just wanted you to know that your brother is very smart and very lonely. You need to help him. It will be tricky and hard but you are the perfect person for the job. It will be great! Just trust me. The end of message.’’

How did she get the note? I hear you say. I’m not sure really. That’s her story not mine. But back to the story. When she got the note, she was very puzzled. She didn’t know who sent the note.

I think we should fast forward past the nitty gritty stuff. Despite much hardship and disappointment, Peter achieved his dreams. He found his voice and it was through facilitated communication. It just involved a simple keyboard. It just had letters, ‘yes’ ‘no’, ‘I don’t know’ and even a sticker with an exclamation mark. It even has a smiley face for when he is being cheeky and is telling jokes.

The possibilities are endless! All it took was a simple keyboard, a kind sister and hard work for Peter to become truly great. He also met other people just like him, but that’s another story…