Monday, March 31, 2014

Writing a Long Term Paper


           The truth about the so-called emerging autism awareness, I felt as I lay awake before going to sleep a week into February, is that it has less to do with so-called charities which have no autistic members in their board or general membership body and pay more to their executives, but autistics such as Temple Grandin and Jim Sinclair. Soon after I woke up, I found seven more bottle caps for my collection in my stash of ones to repurpose. I then worked on my Altoids box diorama for Erin and my handbag made from snack wrappers, and at dinner I saw Jai, Ryan, and Kim, the latter of who told me Sinho was in Kansas City and would be back that night or the next day. Afterwards I thought about how I could perhaps make prints of my plastic bag mandalas to sell, like the artist Virginia Flecke does. After that I went to the Pinterest party and meet several people while I met several people and painted a picture of a buffalo like the one on the Jefferson nickel as a symbol of autistic pride as Thomas Jefferson was autistic, to inspire me, and realized I could make prints of this painting and others that I’ve done, and I cut out a coaster from the Styrofoam plate I used. I realized I could make prints of my Green Man made from bottle caps to.  I texted my dad a picture of the painting and my diorama and he liked them both. I talked to my Granddad and told him my new thought on the so-called emerging autism awareness, and he told me I had certainly done my part with my blogs, groups, my interview in the Kansas City Star, and my interview with Chris Hernandez. He also loved my print idea and we talked about how I sort aluminum cans and he said that is a way to prevent the need for more mining to secure aluminum sources. I realized that cutting down on mining by recycling aluminum cans is good for Tibet as mining by the Chinese is a huge problem. Then I sorted some more recycling. After that I worked on my coasters made from Styrofoam and paper plates. I took out my trash and recycling while I sorted some recycling in the Ellis courtyard and realized that another way, I am helping potentially helping the autism community the government spends less money on our landfills and has more money to spend on autism services. I got back and I realized I could make prints of my toilet paper roll wall art. Then I worked on my coasters made from Styrofoam and paper plates. After that I got the idea to do my Early American Literature paper on William Penn and his contribution to the founding of America. Then I worked on my snack wrapper collage of Maja Toudal, finishing her likeness. After that I realized I could also do prints of my yarn paintings. 
                The next morning, when Sinho had returned and asked me a question on the proper English of a sentence, I started to have a little bit of understanding for how the Korean language works. Then Tyler called me, and I talked to him a little bit, during which time we role-played me asking a girl out and he talked about this children’s sci-fi movie as I remember it, and how it was one of Tyler Weekly’s favorite movie as a kid. I went down to Walgreen’s and got some new nail clippers, some packing tape, and four more Altoids boxes, then to Hasting’s where I got the March 2014 issue of Shambhala Sun, the February 2014 issue of National Geographic, and the February 2014 issue of Archaeology magazine. I went to Walgreen’s to see if they had a new issue of National Geographic Traveler or Mindful, and when I left, I got a good picture of a church silhouette in the sunlight. On my way back to campus I also picked up some more bottles and cans. Later I found out my Modern Sub-Saharan Africa book report is due on the twenty-fourth. I also found several different types of warrior traditions from all different cultures for my Altoids box dioramas. I read the reading for my Film Appreciation class, during which time I read about the stress a director takes on and remembered how when I helped a camp counselor with this one non-verbal kid at Camp Determination, he, who I told of my ambitions to become a director, said he really believed I would become a director, in contrast to the people who say people with Asperger syndrome can’t speak for non-verbal people. Sinho offered me these shrimp flavored chips from his native Korea, which were really good, and I offered him some Altoids, to which he only ate one at a time, and said they were good, even if he was just being polite, and I learned he and I learned he had been to Thailand, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, and the Vatican, the last of which he had some trouble pronouncing during which time I learned some times for him and other international students there is the challenge of knowing how to pronounce a word in communicating with other students, and he asked if he could ask me about me to help him understand English, which said was fine and he asked me what religion I practiced to which I said I followed the teachings of the Buddha, though really more as a way of life than as a religion, and learned he had no religion but his mother was Catholic, and that he loves to read comic books, including Japanese comic books, which are really popular in South Korea, and watch movies, and asked me what kinds of movies I like and I said I love The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies and he said he loves them to, that The Lord of the Rings is very popular in South Korea, and that he hasn’t seen the second Lord of the Rings movie, and we agreed to watch it together next weekend hopefully being able to find Korean subtitles, so I thought I would do my Film Appreciation movie viewing and writing for next week and the weeks after that earlier in the week, and he asked me what kinds for snack I liked, saying he wanted to get me a snack at the Break Time gas station where he was shopping and after I told him a little bit about it he came back with some Doritos. I talked to my granddad and he said that I prove with Tyler how untrue that is, and that letting Tyler role-play must really make him feel better. I realized Tyler cannot speak for himself and the fact that he’s not even autistic shows I can speak for people of all sorts of abilities. Then I sorted some more recycling near the front desk. I saw several of the girls and female THRIVE volunteers in the TV Lounge after that and said hi to them, who I learned were having “girl time.” I said, “Well I don’t mean to interrupt,” at which point Mary (Oscar’s girlfriend) said, “No, you’re fine.” Then I got a post card from Mom and Dave in Hawaii and two new stamps for my collection from it. I also finished my Altoids box diorama for Erin and I realized Granddad was probably right about how letting Tyler role-play with me makes him feel much better. 
                The next morning Sinho and I ate breakfast with Autrey and Tom, who I introduced to Sinho. Then I got the idea to make a Christmas tree angel out of paper plates before watching a movie on race for my Film Appreciation class called An Imitation of Life, about a half-black girl who had a black mother and a father who abandoned her and her mother, and she herself always tried to pass for white, while living with a white widow actress and her daughter, while I worked a little bit on my angel. Then I ate dinner with Tom and Autrey. After that I made some playing cards into boxes, which I used to keep small miscellaneous items, my rubber gloves, and my bird puppets, allowing me to recycle the tin can I kept them in, and two more malas from straws. Then I worked on my handbag.  After that I sorted a bit of recycling in the Ellis TV Lounge. 
            
                The next morning before I went to bed, I helped Sinho learn how to open our mailbox, but after trying several times, he said we could just figure it out another time.  Before I went to sleep, I made a few more flowers from straws. I improved and finished my Altoids box diorama for Erin, using a lot of brightly colored paper I’ve found in trash cans to support the cut-outs. Then I worked on my coasters made from paper plates and Styrofoam. After that I saw on my e-mail account that during Autism Awareness Month, the Autism Society of America was going to challenge subminimum wage laws, and aversives, restraints, and seclusion of autistic people in schools, and help with transitioning programs, as well as links to GRASP (Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership) and scientifically based therapies for autism as well as that Ryan was interested in me speaking at the THRIVE student organization about my group. Then I found several sources for my research paper for my Early American Literature class. I e-mailed my instructor asking if he approved of the topic. Then I started reading one of the books for my research paper. I also found out we needed to meet with the instructor at least once to talk about the paper. After that I e-mailed Laura Scott asking if we could move the meeting time to next Wednesday. She e-mailed me back saying that would work perfectly. I then sent the e-mail about the next meeting out to everyone. After that I decided I would start projects like my research paper earlier, requiring me to do less work but over a longer period of time. Then I checked out those books from the library. I got back and worked on my Christmas tree angel made from paper plates. After that I ate dinner with Sinho, Ryan, Kim, and another guy whose name I sort of remember, while I read more of the books I checked out. I got and I worked on my handbag. While I was at Late Night I made some more flowers. After that I sorted some more recycling. Then I did some laundry. I got back and I found out Dad really like the environmental crafts I showed him. Then I made another mala from straws. After that I wrote in my gratitude journal. 
                The next morning, I sat with Oscar at lunch. After that I kept reading the reading for my Early American Literature class. Then I edited my paper for my World Archaeology class. I went to my Early American Literature class afterwards where I found out that William Penn was not yet taken. Then I met with my Early American Literature instructor about my paper. I got back and I made another flower. Then I worked on my lampshade made from straws, my snack wrapper collages, and my handbag. Afterwards I fixed my angel made from paper plates. Then I cleaned a lot of dust off my floor. I sorted some recycling in Ellis during which time I found two more bottle caps for my collection. Later I had dinner with Sinho, Jai, Kim, and another South Korean student named Hideki. After that I wrote in my gratitude journal.  Then I helped Sinho with homework some more. I also made another mala from straws and five more heart-shaped hair pins from straws.
                The next morning, I read some more of my books on William Penn for my Early American Literature class. Then I sorted some recycling. I read a lot of the reading for my Early American Literature class. After that I worked on my coasters made from paper plates and Styrofoam. 
               Later I cleaned out and made thirteen pencil cans from Pringles cups for the UCM Autism Spectrum Support Group. I also woke Sinho up twice I while I worked on my coasters made from paper plates and Styrofoam and decided one of our door prizes would be a set of five coasters, rather than one, and the first door prize would be or getting five people to sign, while the second would be for getting ten people to sign, and the third would be for getting twenty people to sign.  I also worked on my lampshade made from straws. After that I shared A Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism’s post on inclusive education examples on Facebook. Then I realized I may have positively impacted many autistic people’s acceptance from their parents and themselves, which could make them more openly autistic and raise awareness about this condition. While running I almost finished making nine heart-shaped hair pins from straws, thinking I was making only eight. After that I realized a willingness to burn myself alive if I failed the autistic community that I had and even and even give my life for them is not too different from the samurai suicide tradition, which I suddenly understood more in the context of warriorship, and a knight or warrior’s own willingness to die for people. I got back and talked to Dad while I finished those heart-shaped hair pins and realized how many I had made which he said he really liked. I worked on my handbag and during Late Night I read that the Combating Autism Act has been criticized by ASAN for its curing autism mentality. I felt so connected and understanding of who I am afterwards, with my artistic talent, filmmaking and writing ambition, my love of books, nature, art and music, Buddhist convictions, deep passion for social justice, and interest in different cultures, things that I share in common with many females with Asperger syndrome that psychologist Tania Marshall described. I wrote in my gratitude journal afterwards.
                The next day I realized that what I’m studying in school has a lot do with struggles like the autistic struggle such as religion and literature (Gandhi’s non-violence was inspired by Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Leo Tolstoy’s and Henry David Thoreau’s works), political science, literature, and film (the Civil Rights era was inspired by Gandhi’s work, novels, and several films), history (the Disability rights movement was inspired by the Civil Rights movement and Women’s Rights movements, which were in turn inspired by Gandhi), and art (various artists helped inspire the anti-apartheid movement), and they may all come as useful when I strive for the autism community. I also realized how great my plastic bag mandala made from restaurant take-out bags would look, with the Quizno’s Q and Chinese restaurant smiley face looking like geometrics signs all on a mostly white surface. I made several more flowers and worked on my lampshade. After that I helped Sinho understand some of the things on his Blackboard. Then I worked on my mandalas made from plastic bags realizing that the K, A, and U possibly from the bags that say “Thank You” look kind of like Greek letters, and the Colonel from the KFC bag almost looks kind of like me (and really might in fifty years) and I could say he’s helping me visualize myself as the Buddha, and I worked on my handbag while I ate dinner with Sinho and Jai. I ran on the treadmill for about forty minutes-I would have run longer but someone accidentally set the alarm off, and I left-during which time I made eight more heart-shaped pins from straws. I went to Late Night where I met Jacob and Wonyang, two of the Korean students I saw at the soccer game and got Jacob’s number and said when we were doing things with the hall, I would text them to invite them. 
                After that I had lunch with Kim and Jacob, who I introduced to each other. I also posted several links from autism groups I belong to. After that I posted on Elizabeth’s Facebook page saying Elizabeth Boresow is one of the greatest and bravest autism advocates I have ever met, that graduating from KU, she has worked so hard in cross-disability activism, that through the hussels of her life she advocates for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender, and underprivileged people in a way that is overwhelming, has been through numerous hardships, yet has risen like a phoenix from the ashes to be a bastion of comfort for those in her struggles, that people like her who challenge governments in such just ways are truly immortal, and viva autism liberation. 
I later invited my friends to like a feminist blog, repurposing, a page opposing a Kansas bill against gay marriage, the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, Parenting Autistic Children with Love and Acceptance, the Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City, and the National Disability Rights Center. Afterwards I took a walk where I saw Ryan e-mailed me about meeting with his group and got some quarters. I got back and learned that the Chipko movement to save trees in India practices the non-violent resistance methods of Mahatma Gandhi. Then I did a watercolor poster of Merlin from the cover of The Lost Years of Merlin, and it looked so bright and colorful and just great, and that Shambhala arts is about bringing art to people who are not necessarily professional artists. After that I read a lot of the reading for my Film Appreciation class. I got back and added a quote to my poster “The heart can see things invisible to the eye.” After that I saw several people responded to my invitations and that Elizabeth liked my two posts about her. I invited people to like the Autism Women’s Network. Later I got rather caught up in working on my snack wrapper collage of Charles Darwin and after helping Sinho some more unsuccessfully, I saw how easy it could be for a girl like my friend Cassie not to overextend herself in a relationship while she focused on her career. I did find I got a postcard from Hawaii with new stamps for my collection and package from Mom with wasabi peas, a chocolate lollipop, and receipts, sharing some peas and a piece of lollipop with Sinho, who declined anymore peas after he found out they were spicy, saying that Japanese sushi and wasabi peas are eaten in South Korea, though he doesn’t eat them himself, after which I realized that Korea must have had a long history of influence from China and Japan. 
                The next morning, I didn’t sleep at all, and I used the time to web-surf on my phone. During that I learned the Chinese Yuxia warriors often practiced calligraphy, in addition to fighting, one of the main types of Shambhala arts. After I got out of bed, I read the reading for my Film Appreciation class before watching the films for the class. I wrote what I plan to say for the post down. Then I cleared my bed of my collages, wood burnings, and painting. After that I turned the binder, I found in the garbage into a bin for my newspaper using some duct tape, and the envelope from Mom’s packaging into a folder for my syllabi and papers. I made eight more heart-shaped pins while running and I got back and worked on some wallets made from Kool-Aid pouches. I talked to Tyler for a bit, who role-played as a girl for me to ask out telling me she heard Tyler Weekly was the vice president of the UCM Autism Spectrum Support Group when I brought it up, told me I need to think of things other people wanted to do, and asked me why I always get angry at my computer. I also decided to get up early tomorrow to work on my paper so I could get my reward for doing so before it was due, and to get myself a reward if I get in bed by 1 tonight. Then I wrote in my meditation journal, during which time I thought I might be able to get sodas in a can near in the machine near the South Ellis first floor lounge, so as not to down-cycle. I realized I could and for fifty cents less while I sorted some recycling.
                The next morning, I ate breakfast with Mary.  Then I cleaned of my desk, microwave, and windowsill. After that I got eight total sources and used them in my research paper for my Early American Literature. I got back and had dinner with Tom. After that I sent my Film Appreciation instructor my paper. Then I did the posts for that class. After that I sent several people on Facebook invitations to like several of my autism groups and a petition against an educational facility using restraints and aversives while I realized that even if not a lot of people sign or like these things, I will have helped by getting some people with me and also made my intentions known. I also saw ten people liked the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, while five or six people liked the Autism Women’s Network, the National Disability Rights Center, the Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City, and the Autism Support Network.
     
The next day I decided to try and put more time into my stamp collection, realizing how it may teach people like boy scouts things like about different cultures, and thus to be good citizens, which is one of the teachings Trungpa gave his students, and I went to the library and finished my research paper for my Early American Literature class. Then I sent some more invitations to like autism groups on Facebook. After that I posted some more things on my Facebook page after that. I also I decided to spread out my invitations, so people won’t get overwhelmed. Later I found a way to use a black coke bottle cap to make my carved egg stand up on my desk. Then I made about fourteen more heart-shaped pins and then twenty more while running. When I got back, I found out my dad liked my Charles Darwin collage, my Merlin painting, my newspaper rack made from a binder and duct tape, my folder made from a mail carrier, my heart-shaped pins, and my egg stand. During Late Night I made eight more heart-shaped pins. I got back and I realized I could use my ripped plastic bags to wrap things I buy when I travel. I also got some quarters from a purchase at the gas station when I bought something there so I could do laundry when the front desk was out of ones, and I only had a five. I got back and did some laundry. I also realized that the art of calligraphy, which does kind of have a warrior feel, was something Sokka from Avatar the Last Air Bender learned when being taught to sword, just as he learned painting, like that Merlin painting I did, and others throughout my life. 
                During my Early American Literature class, I found out we could revise our papers later and got the idea to make a sky for one of my plastic bag mandalas using the red and blue colors from Price Chopper bags. After my last class I went to the OAS Office and scheduled an appointment with the Testing Center. Later I saw Laci walking by alone down at the Rec Center and she smiled, and I smiled back. After that I went to look for some straws I was carrying thinking I’d dropped them, and I would only have enough to make heart-shaped hair pins for half an hour and not know what to do on the treadmill afterwards and went back in knowing I’d already done my part to help the environment and found them on the front desk as I swiped in again. While running I made nineteen more heart-shaped pins. During Late Night, I felt after the relief of having finished my paper, a sense of wanting to find some new activities to occupy my time, maybe taking a break from environmental crafts, and thinking of doing some bird-watching in that time, and work on my screenplays. 

A Difficult Decision


On the first day of February, before I went to bed, I read a lot of the reading for my Film Appreciation class.  When I woke up the next morning, I decided after setting and resetting my alarm for a new time to wake up, to stop doing all that, figuring that if I got more sleep, I might have the energy to do more during the day.  I read the readings from the other textbook for my Film Appreciation class after breakfast.  Also the thought occurred to me that if my student group gets some peer mentors, they should attract more students in general to join.  Soon after that I became faced with the realization that my computer, an old one that use to belong to Dave, did not have sound and every attempt I made to change that had not worked, but I needed a way to play movies on my computer for my Film Appreciation class.
Luckily, Sinho, after trying several different approaches and looking perfectly confident about what he did, solved the problem for me.  Thanking him profusely, I felt a great sense of relief.  Afterwards I ate lunch with Sinho and Jai, and then went down to the Rec Center with them, much earlier than my usual time.  I spend part of the time reading Anthills of the Savanah, and when I got back I worked some more on my lampshade made from straws, as well as another flower made from straws.  I talked to my mom about how Sinho and I planned to move to Foster/Knox and she said “You know you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
“Well, “I’ve already filled out the paper work.”
Later, when I needed a way to access a movie for my class, and the library was closed, I talked to my grandparents and they let me use their Netflix account so I could watch them.  I ended up watching from a list of classic movies Grapes of Wrath, about a family’s migration to the western United States for work during the Dust Bowl.  I took several good notes on it thinking they would help me write my paper, and then made ten more straws into beads.  I also thought of using my Altoids boxes to make dioramas of scenes in history where people demonstrated the true human bravery that Chogyam Trungpa called warriorship.
The next morning I read a lot of the reading for my Modern Sub-Saharan Africa class before watching Spongebob in the dining hall.  Later Tyler called and after talking to him for a while, of which he kept needing to tell me something, I let him know I needed to go as I had a lot of work for the day.  After that I did some work on my handbag made from snack wrappers before Sinho and I tried to go check out our new apartment in Foster/Knox.  On our way, Sinho offered to hold my hand to stop me from falling on the ice, and when I slipped and fell walking up a hill, Sinho offered to help me up, though I got up alright on my own, while thanking him for his offer.   We got there only to find that the front desk there had closed.  As we walked back, Sinho apologized for the mistake, but I told him it was no problem.  Later I did the paper on Grapes of Wrath for my Film Appreciation class.  I also found another bottle cap for my collection in my bag of bottle caps I planned to repurpose.  While I was wrapping my Ethernet cord up, Sinho showed me a new way to do it by holding one end in my hand and wrapping the cord around my hand and elbow, which turned out to save a lot of time and energy.  I then turned twenty more straws into beads before taking out my trash and recycling.  When I got back, I realized how nice it felt to me to hear Sinho and Jai talking in their native tongue, and then helped Sinho edit a paper he was working on to make sure it followed the rules of English grammar.

The next morning as I lay awake in bed, thinking of what needs to be done for the autistic community to find a smoother road to proper services, I realized that before Gandhi, one women, Lady Godiva from the Middle Ages, seemed to be a precursor to Gandhi in using non-violent resistance, which involved her protesting her husband the king’s high taxes of peasants by riding naked out into the streets.  Whether it worked or not, I do not know.  During lunchtime time (or rather brunch for me), I ate with Chris and Luis from Tau Kappa Epsilon.  I took that time to thank them personally for inviting me to join their group, even though current commitments stopped me from doing so.  Chris said, “Yeah, no problem.”
When I got back and started cleaning out my UCM e-mail account, I saw an old e-mail November from Barbara about the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, who she forwarded me an e-mail they sent her asking if they could advertise on UCM campus.  She asked me if I knew anything about them and I looked on their website in the process of e-mailing it to her, and I saw that one of its pages showed Philanthropedia magazine listing them on the Top 10 Nationwide Disability Organizations, which sent to link for to Barbara saying I thought they were a very reputable group and certainly worthy of advertising on campus.  I realized at that point that she really valued my opinion on autism issues and thought that if she needed to stop letting any one of those autism organizations that weren’t so worthy of advertising on campus from doing so, and did not know how to tell them, I would be happy to tell them myself if that would work out. 
                I read more of the reading for my Early American Literature class.  Then I worked on my snack wrapper collage of Maja Toudal. After that I read some more of the reading for my Modern Sub-Saharan Africa class during which time I learned that the Africans started pushing towards their independence because of cities, which brought various ethnic groups together and helped forge a sense of national identity, education for the would-be elites, which brought various ethnic groups together, mutual aid societies and social networks, much like the UCM Autism Spectrum Support Group, and Mahatma Gandhi’s success.  I also got the idea to make my friend Erin for her Christmas present an Altoids tin diorama of Tauriel with her bow and arrow with the other side saying the quote, “Well-behaved women rarely make history.”  After that I read more of the reading for my Early American Literature class. 
                I went with Sinho later on and we filled out the paper work to move into Foster/Knox with Sinho.  The woman at the desk, a short black woman with a friendly round face said, “The sooner you move out, the more money you save.”  We signed some papers and learned that after we signed, we learned that after this was signed, we had forty-eight hours to move out of Ellis. 
After that I got some quarters at the Union.  After that I sorted some recycling.  I got back and I told Laura Scott that I would be happy to have the UCM Autism Spectrum Support Group outside the Union.  Then I ate with Philip, Mardy, and Jeremiah from the Dining Hall.  Mardy talked about us being roommates together even though we probably wouldn’t be living in Foster/Knox.  I told them about my new roommate and how we planned to move there this semester.  Philip told me he did not envy us living there, saying the fire alarm goes off five times each morning, and that it actually was not cheaper at all.  In addition, the building would be getting more freshmen, who were incredibly noisy, at least as much as they were in Ellis, and there were now CA’s living there to help keep the halls under control, though there were no social activities that you had in the dorm. 
                After that I worked on my handbag made from snack wrappers.  Then I ran on the treadmill for about an hour during which time I realized that Joan of Arc, El Cid, and Barbarossa may be examples of warriors, as may Genghis Khan, for although he conquered, he also brought justice to lands that did not have it before, and that Age of Empires Wikia would be a great place to find out about warriors for the subjects of my Altoids tin dioramas.  I got back and talked to Granddad, who said that UCM has less students that JCCC so that’s why it might be taking more time for the UCM group to get going.  Then I talked to Dad and Mom, the latter of whom was impressed by ASAN’s place among the list of top 10 disability organizations.  I went to Late Night and had a root beer and a pretzel.  Then I did some laundry while I sorted some recycling.  I then hung out with Maria, Antwon, and another UCM student in Maria’s room.  After I went back I turned ten more straws into beads.  While I wrote in my meditation journal, Jai shared with my some delicious Korean food he made, and I who was normally very picky about carrots and vegetables, didn’t find these things bothersome at all.  I also thought that a bright side of living in Foster/Know would be that because there was probably less restrictions on alcohol, I might be able to find more bottle caps for my collection while sorting some recycling.
                Classes were cancelled the next day due to the snow.  I spent my time off working on a drawing of Joan of Arc from a picture on-line, which would be the model for my Altoids box diorama.  Then I rewashed my sheets which I had forgotten to wash last night.  Later I sorted some more recycling.  Then I worked on my panda bear sculpture made from foil.  I also told Laura Scott that I’d probably have to cancel the meeting tomorrow.  I later looked on my Facebook account and saw Barbara and one of my old friends from JCCC liked one of my links which said that the people who discovered the two main forms of autism, Asperger and Kanner syndrome, really studied the same thing, but that advent of World War II prevented this from being discovered, and that Asperger and Kanner syndrome did not in fact have any reliable differences.
                Later I saw that I had my red yarn from Colorado at UCM and could make malas with it now.  Then I worked on my snack wrapper collage of Maja Toudal.  Later I played a game called Juko with Sinho and several of his Korean friends, which is played over a net moving the ball only with one’s head or feet, and I started getting the hang of it.  After that I worked on a shopping bag woven from Walmart bags.  Later I had a snowball fight with Robert, Casey, Megan, Adrian, and another girl from Ellis.  I had dinner with several THRIVE students and volunteers, including Brian and Autrey.  I got back and worked on my shopping bag some more and my mandalas made from Walmart bags.  I worked on my handbag while running on the treadmill and hung out with Maria, Megan, Casey, Antwon, and another girl from Ellis when I got back.  Then I turned ten more straws into beads.  Sinho also explained to me that they play Juko in South Korea, as opposed to soccer, due to the lack of open spaces.  I still was not sure I wanted to move to Foster/Knox.
                Class was cancelled again the next morning, not that it mattered to me as I had no in-class classes that day.  Sinho came to me after I woke up and said, “Ben, I am not sure I do want to move to Foster/Knox, so I need to take some time and think deeply about it.”
                A rush of hope swept through me, and I said “Ok.”
  The snow had stopped us from moving that day, so we would have to move the next day if it did not stop housing offices from being opened.  I had lunch with Zachary, Ryan, and another guy from TKE that invited me to join the group and I thanked them all for inviting me, explaining why I wasn’t able to join and the guy who had invited me said it was no problem, that he knows people have their own lives, and I was welcome to come to their house anytime I wanted.  After that I made three more malas from straws.  Then I worked on my snack wrapper collage of Maja Toudal, after which I felt a renewed love of repurposing.  Then I went down to the Rec Center with Maria, Antwon, Megan, Casey, Ro, and several others from our hall and played volleyball.  After that I did some archery with Megan who said she thought archery made her look brave and that’s why she choose to do it and I realized that archery making one look brave might be why the Shambhala Buddhist community does it as it helps one discover the human’s “natural dignity” and it helps you to be more aware of the space around you.  Then I wrote my paper for my World Archaeology class, during which time I realized archery helps you be more diligent, or as Chogyam Trungpa said, “overcome aggression.”  I had dinner with Maria, Antwon, and Casey, the latter two of whom Maria said liked me, which made me see what Granddad meant about how people value my friendship. 
                I still had some trouble with the way Jai showed me how to wrap up my Ethernet cord, but he showed me the right way and I mastered it.  Then I sorted some recycling.  After that I worked on my coasters made from paper plates and Styrofoam and my mandalas made from plastic bags.  I worked on my shopping bag while I did my running.  I talked to my granddad later that night and told him I still was not sure if I could ask a girl out, but he told me he knew I would do the right thing, just as I had always done.  Later I sorted some recycling and worked more on my bag woven from Walmart bags, my coasters made from paper plates and Styrofoam, and my mandala made from plastic bags.  Sinho also came to me while I was sitting at my desk and said “Ben, I’ve thought about it, and I decided I want to move to Foster/Knox.”
                “Ok.” I said. 
                I felt if I moved I would miss a lot of my friends who lived here in Ellis, but then I thought, when I find the right girl, perhaps she could counterbalance that feeling, not to mention the fact that I did not know what dorm or apartment building she would be living in.  I could also get everyone’s phone number and ask them to let me know whenever they’re doing something together. 
                I packed a lot for moving to Foster/Knox during which time I found three twenty-five dollar Barnes and Noble gift cards, before going to bed, realizing my recyclables meant I had a lot to carry.  I got an e-mail saying the due date for my World Archaeology paper was pushed to next Tuesday because of the snow and decided to use those days to try and improve it.  We did have class that day, and during that time our research paper for my Early American Literature class, which I hadn’t even started on, was pushed back to the next class day, giving us five more days to do it.  After my World Archaeology class, I saw Laci as I was walking by to get a drink, saying “Hi, how are you?”
                “Good,” she said smiling.  “How are you?”
                “Good.”
                I heard Laci and Dr. Yelton talk about her presentation and heard Yelton mention the Anthropology Club.  I asked Yelton if we had any meetings coming up, and he said he hadn’t put anything out yet, while Laci watched us, fidgeting with her hair.  After that I packed up several more things in my dorm, realizing I would miss the place, but after I got to the housing office at Foster/Knox, got my key from a friendly woman at the desk and saw the number of Asian students who could make Sinho feel at home, the lack of recyclables in the trash cans, perhaps because fewer freshmen lived there, meaning that maybe sorting the recycling wouldn’t distract me from my school work, and other activities, and how spacious and comfortable our apartment was, I had a different feeling about moving here.  Then Sinho came in and said, “Ben, I talked to Jai, and he convinced me that I should not move to Foster/Knox, but stay in Ellis because there is more social opportunity, but I wanted to make sure that was ok with you.”
                Relief spread over my body and I said, “Sure.” 
                Sinho apologized for the fact that I had already moved so much of my stuff and volunteered to carry half of it back to Ellis.  We went to the housing office and learned we could cancel our reservation if we wanted to, and we said we did.  The woman gave us the form saying, “You know you guys could save a lot of money.”
I realized that maybe I belong in a dorm where immature freshman throw away their recyclables, because there I can make the biggest difference.  That night I went to Diversity Cupcake Night on my hall, where Maria gave us all cupcakes where we put two green frosting lines on our cupcake if we considered our self a male, and three if we considered our self a female, a red check if we were from the Midwest, and a red x if we were not, a green dot if we considered ourselves passive in a crisis, two circles if we considered ourselves assertive, and three if we considered ourselves aggressive, for with I put two circles, white chocolate balls for each goal we’d accomplished, for which I put three for going to college, starting a group, and starting a blog, and green balls for each sibling, stepsibling, and half-sibling we had.  Later I worked on my handbag made from snack wrappers on the treadmill, having also made another mala from straws, then I hung out with Maria, Antwon, Casey, Kelly, Adrian, and another guy from Ellis before we went to McDonald’s where I took two bottles out of the trash to recycle, then to an Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority party, where I saw several of the guys from TKE, found another bottle cap for my collection, and on my way back carried back twelve or thirteen cans from the trash and floor under my arms, in my sweater pocket, and in my McDonald’s cup to recycle in the bin in Ellis, finding another bottle along the way.