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.