I love this picture of Mike and me. I’m pretty sure that Mom took it. Most of the pictures I have are slides, film negatives or those old snapshots with the rippled edges. This one was about 5X7 and glued flush onto card stock. With the old negatives, I used to print them myself and […]
I wonder how many of you have heard someone say, “You should have taken better care of yourself”, after you catch a cold. “What did I do to deserve this?” is the same question. This time it is the victim that blames him or herself. Why is it so easy to cast blame? Does it […]
I wonder how many times autistic siblings have heard this phrase. Was it just me? I have to admit that when I was growing up, I didn’t hear those words. My Mom wanted me to go out and play with the other kids. I’m sure Dad wanted the same things, but he also reinforced the […]
Have you ever looked at something all the time and, many years later, look at it again and notice something completely different about it? The picture below is an example of that for me. I carved mine, Mom and Dad helped my other brothers with theirs. We always put them on the stoop for Halloween. […]
My Letter to The Times About 10 or so years ago, the New York Times published an article about siblings of autistic children. Lacking in the article was the perspective of someone my age – one who grew up in the 1950s. I was fortunate in having my letter to the editor published. Below is […]
This is me and my younger brother. He’s OK. Mom or Dad took this picture.
I think I took this picture of Mike. Pretty good for a kid, although not the traditional type found in a family album. It surprised me when I came across it among the family snaps. Looking at it with today’s eyes, it captures the essence of my relationship with my older brother. There was this […]
(This is a re-post from the ‘History’ section, where I discuss Depiction of the Mentally Ill) Respectful portrayal of the handicapped is a question near and dear to my heart, since my older brother is profoundly retarded and autistic. Michael has never spoken and it was never obvious to me if he know who I […]
Labels are powerful. They can be very helpful in life, but also heartbreaking. When we think of the term ‘label’, we envision the printed matter attached to things we wish to purchase. Labels tell us the clothing maker, the size of the garment, for instance. It tells us what is in the can or box […]
I don’t know why it is taking me so long to get started. I’ve been thinking about this for more years than many of you have been alive. Dealing with it has never/always been a problem. It has shaped my life, made me who I am today. Maybe its because I’m so thoughtful, with thoughts […]
