Needing to Set Boundaries

As November arrived, I finally had my second exam in my World Masterpieces class and I thought I did pretty well on it. As I nearly finished I heard myself getting a text, which, sure enough, turned out to be from Tyler, saying it, was an emergency. I called and found out a family friend of his had died and he said it was things like that which wanted to make him keep his family and friends alive. I told him he couldn’t hold onto them forever though and should enjoy them while they were there. I also realized this desire he had must have been somewhat caused by the death of Jennifer Johnston. A little after I got back I worked some more on my snack wrapper collage of Maja Toudal. Then I went to the Print Club where I gave Mark the necklace to sell at our booth at Those Were the Days. He seemed to really like it. Then I made ten of my own cards. After that I went to Experience Africa and saw a Congolese dance, for which the dancer had other people get up on the stage and dance with him, of which I joined in despite people videotaping it probably to put it on YouTube, a group of female dancers, a pianist playing three African national anthems, a poetry reading, and a fashion show with costumes from various nations. All the people came back on stage after they were done to do other performances. After all that was over I got some dinner at Planet Sub. I showed my dad my collage and prints and he really loved them. Then I worked on my foil bust of Thomas Jefferson, deciding to make it big so it could be seen from a mantle. After that I read ten more pages of Cahokia. I also sorted some recycling throughout Ellis. Then I worked on my Green Man made from plastic bottle caps. The next morning before I went to bed, I read about how many people with Asperger syndrome will retreat to their “special interests” as it gives them comfort, realizing perhaps why some group members never showed up to the UCM Autism Spectrum Support Group. Contrary to popular belief, the interests of people with Asperger syndrome are not as strange and limited as believed, but often are all they talk about in social spheres as their lack of social skills doesn’t enable them to do much else, and they see things differently, as their perceptions and brains are simply wired that way.

 

After breakfast and my meditation I sorted some recycling. Then I went down to the Union and again studied for two fifty minute study blocks for my North American Indian class, with a ten minute break in between to use the bathroom and get a drink of water. I thought later about how The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug would go and thought it might end with the orcs mobilizing to invade Erebor, giving it the perfect cliffhanger ending. I got back and worked on my yarn painting of Hank Hill. I also read eleven more pages of Cahokia while on the treadmill. I got back to Ellis and sorted some more recycling. Back in my dorm I worked on a new handbag made from snack wrappers. Later I took out my trash. Then I worked on my block printing stamps made from plastic bottle caps and Styrofoam. I also talked to Tyler some more.

 

 

Before I went to bed the next morning I worked on my trellises made from bottle rings and twist-ties and my Buddha sculpture made from foil. I went to bed and dreamt that I led an army of two hundred Chittagong tribesmen from eastern Bangladesh to victory against the Bengali army of one million that was colonizing their land. I thought the dream may have been referring to how as an autism advocate, I can feel overwhelmed by the numbers of people who resist change for whatever reason, yet I don’t need to be. While I was at breakfast I worked on my travel plans to Kenya. Later I sent out personal invitations to all the members of the UCM Autism Spectrum Support Group. I studied for my North American Indian class again for two fifty minute study blocks, with a ten minute break in between, during which I read about DIY projects and how they are popular among college and graduate students and often associated with fashion, printmaking and decorating. After I got done studying for my North American Indian class I finished my World Masterpieces take-home exam and submitted it to SafeAssign. When I got back I learned from a website on my phone about contemplative collage making, where you discover things about your subject in the process of portraying it. Then I ate dinner with Aaron, Kyley, John, Thad, and two other UCM students. Later I learned about how contemplative arts are arts done with mindful intent on my phone and also about keeping a journal or sketchbook for pictures of inspirations to do these arts. Then I sorted some recycling again. I worked some more on my bag woven from Walmart bags. After that I took a short nap to recover my strength, tired from helping Tyler sort out his issues with everything else. As fifteen minutes did not do it, I decided to give myself another fifteen minutes, then another thirty, realizing that Tyler has helped me learn to be kind to myself and if education and health care professionals worked more with people like him, they might learn to as well and be more productive, thus saving us money to train them to be so, rather than a financial burden.  Later I ran on the treadmill while reading ten more pages of Cahokia. When I got back I talked to my granddad, who agreed that my dream the last night lay have been telling me not to feel overwhelmed by numbers when trying to bring change for the autism community. After that I sorted more recycling.  Then I worked some more on my stamps made from plastic bottle caps and Styrofoam. Of course, I also talked to Tyler.

During my next Drawing I class, I learned to extend shade lines across an object to create more of a feeling of unity. I also found out I got two hundred seventy points out of three hundred on my portfolio. Later I worked on my Algebra homework for which I soon found I needed some help with at the Student Success Center. On my way there I sorted some recycling and found another Snapple cap for my collection. After waiting for someone to come at the Success Center, I got the help I needed. While I was there I did check out Lonely Planet books on Mongolia and Western Europe. Yet when I got back to my Algebra homework, despite having gotten help, I found myself unable to concentrate that well, taking quite a while to get done one problem, yet feeling I had to get this assignment done on-time, even though there was only a ten percent reduction on each problem for each day it was late. I took a homework break afterwards and got back to the assignment. Then Tyler texted me and I called him back saying I was losing a lot of energy listening to his worries all the time and I couldn’t call him that night because I was so behind on my Algebra homework. As a girl working at the Union computer lab announced that they would be closing in fifteen minutes, I decided to just try and finish the work the next day. Suddenly I realized how exhausted girls with autism could get. I talked to my mom who agreed to bring some vyvanse, money from my account at home, as I had none left at school, and clean clothes, which I had run out of. Then I wrote in my gratitude journal, knowing how gratitude is an effective relief against stress. I also managed to still read ten pages of Cahokia.

The next day I finished the Algebra assignment and got 99.29% and found out the net assignment, the practice quiz, wasn’t sue until the next day. I also finished my study guide. When I got back I had a nice lie down. Then I called Tyler and told him no hard feelings for what I said last night and that I am always willing to help him because he is my friend. Then my mom arrived with my medicine, clothes, and money. She met Connor and commented to him on all the bags of trash I had to repurpose by Connor said he thought it was cool what I made from it. I went to my North American Indian class afterwards where I took the exam and I thought I did pretty well on it. During that time, I also started to understand Cahokia a little better. Afterwards I went to the UCM Autism Spectrum Support Group Bingo Night, to which Tom and Dr. Mayfield came to. Dr. Mayfield brought some prizes from the UCM book store, among them were pens, UCM lapels, and a notepad with paper made from elephant droppings. Tom won the first two games and he and picked out some pens. He and I tied on the last game and he chose a lapel while I picked out the notepad. Afterwards I talked to Dr. Mayfield about what I realized about girls with autism becoming so exhausted from trying to blend in and being misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder, AD/HD, OCD, and other conditions and she knew what I meant. Then I found out the money Mom sent had come that day and I bought some super glue and a sketchbook to replace my missing one. After that I ate dinner with Mary, Levi, two of Levi’s friends, and another first-year THRIVE student whose name I did not know, while I made three more stamps from plastic bottle caps and Styrofoam. Later I worked some more on my snack wrapper collage of Maja Toudal. I ran on the treadmill and finished Cahokia, which I felt I understood and had some idea of how to write my book report on it. I got back and I worked on my bag woven from bags some more. I showed my dad my Green Man and he liked it a lot. Later I talked to Tyler some more while I made a Buddhist mala from straws, trying to cut down on my pile of straws by making one a day. I also realized that if people at the group felt they could be themselves at the UCM Autism Spectrum Support Group, they may not be plagued so much by fatigue trying to blend in with the group, and maybe we ought to see movies together on campus, so people wouldn’t have to worry about blending in.

The next day in my Drawing I class I learned how to hold my pencil better and to make the dark spaces in the front of my subject darker, so my light spaces don’t stand out so much. I read most of the reading for my World Masterpieces class afterwards. During that class I took a quiz, though I only got two out of five questions right. However, after that I got one hundred percent on my Algebra practice quiz. After that I tried making Celtic crosses from wire. I realized it’s good that the Print Club’s booth at Those Were the Days, Print Reign Supreme, would sell things besides prints, because printmakers need to do other kinds of work as well. I went to Print Reign Supreme and saw that my necklace and cards seemed to have already been sold. Then I got some more embroidery floss. When I got back I worked some more on my yarn painting of Gandhi. While I was at dinner, Esther, the woman who swiped cards, complimented my bottle cap necklace I was wearing. Later I worked some more on my snack wrapper collage of Maja Toudal. Later that night I showed my dad my mala, yarn painting, and collage, all of which he really liked. After that I ate at Late Night with Connor, Mckenzie, Kyley, Thad, and another UCM student. Afterwards I made another mala and talked to Tyler while I made another rose from straws.

 

                The next day during my Algebra class, I got one hundred percent on the quiz, got back my study guide with five out of five points, and got over half way through with the review. As I sorted some recycling after class I found a bottle to make into a vase for some painted pebbles and worked on it when I got back. I went to my North American Indian class in a Hawaiian shirt where we did our role-playing exercise, which I found I and several others learned a lot from. I loved the comment one persona made to another, who believed aliens had to have taught the Native Americans what they knew as they had to get it from somewhere, saying, “That sounds like a pretty raw deal. They have space flight and they give us atlatls.” After class and sorting the recycling I ran into Dr. Mayfield while going to the Union bookstore to get some new scissors, board, and red construction paper there, planning on making a travel altar box, and staples. She said she knew a guy with autism who she told about me comment about social exhaustion and could relate to that completely and I told her about the movie night idea and she liked it. After that I worked on my Gandhi yarn painting. Then I went to Crazy Dog’s where I got another Snapple cap from my drink. When I got back I made another mala from straws. I made another rose from straws after running on the treadmill. Then I talked to Tyler while making another square for a trellis made from bottle rings and twist-ties, deciding that when I finished it, I would say goodbye. 

 

               The next day in my Drawing I class I learned how to do charcoal drawing. Later I read more of the reading for my World Masterpieces class, though I again got two out of five on the quiz that day. After that I told the group members about the next meeting. Then I worked on my yarn painting of Gandhi and my toilet paper roll wall art. I made another mala from straws afterwards, which I showed my dad, along with my yarn painting and he liked them both. I also talked to Tyler until I finished another trellis square.