On the first day of the month, I
took my exam for my North American Indian class, and I thought I did pretty well
on it. After that I went to the UCM Autism Spectrum Support Group Game Night,
where I saw Tom and met a new person named Matt. After introductions we paired
up into groups of two, Matt and I, and Tom and Dr. Mayfield. I learned that Matt was from England and had
an interest in Japanese culture and anime. After we shared what we learned with the group, we all played a game that
Matt had brought, a Japanese anime card game which was rather complex but fun
all the same.
When I got back to Ellis I found
my mom had sent me a cutter and some toilet paper rolls from home to make some
decorated cable holders for the group. I
made two more of them then talked to Tyler a bit. I also started cutting out
pieces of snack wrappers to make collages. Later I went to a mandatory alcohol program in the Union which was
basically a violence and substance abuse trivia night. On my way I realized I am probably running
the only autism group in all of Warrensburg. Then later back in Ellis, I sat at Late Night with several people from
my hall including John and Kyley, while I worked on my handbag made from snack
wrappers, which I thought I’d give to my mom for her birthday sometime and make
another one for the next girl I date. That night I also found my phone charger
wasn’t working while my phone was out of batteries and I gave up trying to
charge it after much frustration.
Thankfully I woke up in time to
meditate, shower, and eat breakfast before my Drawing I class even though I
didn’t have my alarm. After my Drawing I class the next day, I read a lot of
the reading for my World Masterpieces class. After that class I found a new
non-crown bottle cap for my collection while sorting some recycling. Then I
finished my Algebra practice quiz for about an hour and a half before I passed
with one hundred percent necessary to move on, then a review. After that I
worked on some planning drawings for my snack wrapper collages, to be of
history’s great people on the spectrum.
I then got a haircut at ProCuts,
and then went to the Verizon store to get my phone and charger figured out.
While a woman at the counter looked at it, I saw Tom and Jerry playing on the
TV, thinking about how Monica loved to watch that show. Finally, after the woman
came to the conclusion my charger wasn’t working, I got a new one for $34. When
I got back to my dorm, I talked to Tyler some more and I heard him say he knew
Monica, from a dance troop, which did make since as I remembered her saying she
was in a dance troupe in high school. I also recharged my phone with my new
charger, and it worked.
Before my Algebra class the next
day, I read some of the reading for my North American Indian class. Then during
my Algebra class, I passed the test with 100%. I later finished reading the
reading for my North American Indian class. I also realized how for girls with
autism, coming to a group like the one at UCM may be harder for them as they
may not know how to assert their own boundaries and are in groups surrounded by
males as females often get the diagnosis very late in their lives if at all,
not because of a lack of females on the spectrum, but of them often being able
to blend in with their non-autistic peers. I started writing a letter to Sharon
daVanport of the Autism Women’s Network, asking questions about how groups like
mine could make a more comfortable environment for females and what kind of
unique struggles they experienced.
I talked to my granddad who
thought it was a good idea to write that letter seeing what I could learn. I
also ate dinner with Levi and Mary while I worked on my scrap pieces from snack
wrappers and Levi thought my letter was good idea and was also doubted there
were necessarily less girls on the spectrum. Later I worked on some flowers
made from straws and my new wall art piece made from toilet paper rolls. I also
talked to my mom and dad who liked my letter idea and my dad said one of the
biggest questions people in his field of psychology are faced with is how to
get females on the spectrum to be comfortable getting support.
The next day I started on some
beads made from cigarette boxes after my Drawing I class. I also read the
reading for my World Masterpieces class. I sent out e-mails to the group
members about the bowling night the next week and then I worked on my poster
board for Disability Awareness Week, but I found out none of the printers on
campus would print color which I needed for several things on the board. Then I
went to the Grinstead Building for the next Print Club meeting but got there
and learned that I missed it and it was an hour earlier. However, one of the
members, Stacy, stayed behind for a few minutes and told me and wrote down what
they discussed. I learned we were making designs for cards for the next meeting
and would all try and go to a junk antique store in Warrensburg called Those
Were the Days, buy something there and make something from it. After I thanked
Stacy for going over all this with me, I went to Crazy Dog’s and got myself
some ice cream as a reward for one of my days of studying. I later worked on my
wall art made from toilet paper rolls.
The next morning, I ate breakfast
with Chris and John then Oscar and Mary after they left. After that I worked on
two pairs of Oriental stress balls. Later I found out I could not print using
the cords I had to my computer and printer, but I texted Hillary asking her if I
could use her printer for to print these off and she said I could when she got
back from Lee Summit that night. I worked on some flowers then talked to Tyler,
who still seemed to pine over Mary and after talking to him for about an hour,
I felt fairly stressed with my school work and finishing the poster board for
Disability Awareness Week, doing my laundry, reading my World Masterpieces
reading, and finishing my card for the Print Club before the weekend ended. I
talked to my mom, which felt like it didn’t do too much good-she told me I need
to take breaks sometimes with being a regular student-and I soon felt ready to
explode, but I felt better after running on the treadmill. After that I got
some flaming hot Cheetos, Hershey’s, pepperoni, Altoids, shampoo, and soap. I
got back and talked to Tyler and told him I loved talking to him but couldn’t
hear him talk about Mary all the time because I have a lot of work with the
group and my school work. After words I took a short nap to recover my strength
and then I got a text from Hillary saying she had gotten back, and I went and
printed some stuff off. Early the next day I finished my poster board, then did
some laundry. Later I read more of the reading for my North American Indian
class and during my exercise I read a lot of the reading for my World
Masterpieces class.
I woke up at 6:30 on Monday so I
could do my meditation, take a shower, and eat breakfast before going to the
Union to set up the poster board at 8. I learned later that it was Cam’s
birthday on Facebook and posted a happy birthday message. Later as I was
cleaning up my student e-mail account I found an e-mail from last year from a
student named Caleb who said he was on the autism spectrum and saw the group
flyers and wanted to know about the group. I responded apologizing for not
noticing his e-mail until now and telling him about the Bowling Night. Then I
worked on my drawing for a card for the Print Club. During my Drawing I class I
worked on the midterm assignment-letters made from anything we could find that
spelled a word from mythology. Mine said “Xeinos,” a Greek term I learned
during my World Masterpieces class discussion of The Odyssey, which meant
reciprocity, cut out from the paper package my mom sent those cardboard tubes
in, which I twisted to make look 3-dimensional.
I got back and worked on some
Oriental stress balls made from straw wrappers. Then I read a lot of the
reading for my North American Indian class. I also texted Cam to wish him a
happy birthday. Then read the reading for my World Masterpieces class. After
that I finished my Algebra assignment. I ate lunch with Connor, Richard, Ro,
and Mckenzie. Then I went down to the Union and got myself a strawberry
smoothie as a reward for finishing the poster board and drink it while I made
another coaster from receipts. I got back and talked to Tyler while I worked on
my lampshade made from straws.
The next day I got one hundred
percent on my Algebra practice quiz, and then I got one hundred percent on the
quiz. I also realized more of how I’d make my lampshade made from straws. When
I got back, I finished my card for the Print Club then worked on my lampshade. I
also got a text from Mom saying my friend Erin’s grandmother had died. Then I
read the rest of the reading for my North American Indian class. After that I
worked on my snack wrapper collages a little bit. During my North American
Indian class, I found out I got an 89% on the exam.
After class I went to the
bowling alley. Tom was there and soon Matt arrived. Then James got to the alley
and said Monica might be coming. After waiting a few minutes, we got shoes and
set up the game. After that Monica got there and we added her name. After I
bowled well on my turn I told Monica, “It’s a lot like fighting a dementor. You
got to think of something happy.”
She laughed and said, “I love
Harry Potter. I once watched all the movies in a row.” By the end of the game,
Monica had the highest score. Afterwards she asked when the next meeting was, and I said I’d send everyone an e-mail about it.
I got back and worked on my sign
for my Drawing I class. Then I saw Connor, Thad, and Mckenzie all walking to
dinner, and they asked me to join them, and I said I would. I saw Alex, Oscar,
and several other THRIVE students sitting at a table, and they invited me,
though I explained I was already eating with some other people and would catch
them next time. After dinner I made some more flowers from straws. I talked to
Tyler after I ran on the treadmill, and I got my medication.
The next day in my Drawing I
class I learned to draw by moving my elbow rather than my wrist. After class I
remembered something my former THRIVE counselor asked me to do: take a risk
loving someone who will love me the way I deserve to be loved. Then I called
Erin and wished her my condolences. I also got myself a mango smoothie at the
coffee shop as a reward for being willing to take a risk in love. When I got
back my mom called and asked if I wanted to come home this weekend and I
thought that would be nice and said I would. I talked to Tyler that night and
we agreed for me, him, and Jack if he was able to, to get together this
weekend.
The next morning in my Algebra
class I got all the homework for that class done. After class I read the
reading for my North American Indian class. Then I realized more of how I’d
make some beads made from cigarette boxes and worked on the when I got back.
After dinner I talked to my Granddad and found out he was taking me home the
next day. Later I made forty more flowers from straws and worked on my snack
wrappers collages.
I went to the Print Club later
and met several people there and while we went to another room to work on
computer editing the cards Stacy saw me haul a bunch of paper from a trash can
into a recycling bin and said she respected me respected my recycling, having
seen me put a bottle from the trash into the recycling bin last time she saw me
and I told her and a few others about my environmental crafts which they
thought sounded great. Then I finished computer editing the card and got my
design on some wax paper so it could be used to make prints. Afterwards I got
back and talked to Tyler some more. Then I read some more of Sahara, took a nap,
and worked on my wall art made from toilet paper rolls.
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