We are all more than what observers believe us to be.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been brought to my attention that The Autistic Me blog and podcast have been located and read by potential employers.<\/strong><\/p>\n I am not The Autistic Me<\/strong><\/em>, and anyone assuming to know me from this blog alone \u2014 or any of my writings \u2014 likely has constructed a flimsy image of the complete me.<\/p>\n As I\u2019ve written here many times, I am an autistic self-advocate, but autism doesn\u2019t define me to the extent it does many other advocates. I don\u2019t actively identify as autistic; I rarely\u00a0volunteer any of my medical or neurological diagnoses.\u00a0<\/strong>Activists who make any cause their lives\u2019 work deserve a lot of credit, but I\u2019m not one of those people.<\/p>\n Posting random, generic things about life wasn\u2019t the reason I created this blog. It was a class assignment.<\/strong>\u00a0This blog was started as an academic project. The Autistic Me<\/em> blog’s focus since 2007 has been on my journey as a student<\/a> and educator<\/a>. Readers of this blog who don\u2019t know my other works or don\u2019t know me personally have a distorted view of me and my daily life.<\/p>\n Post after post has been about my difficulties as a student and aspiring teacher.<\/strong>\u00a0That\u2019s a result of the original purpose and the narrow audience to which I addressed\u00a0The\u00a0<\/em>Autistic Me.\u00a0<\/i>Overwhelmingly, education dominates this blog, and if I\u2019m honest that is because I perceived my audience (and potential speaking market) to be education-related.<\/p>\n Education matters to me, but teaching wasn\u2019t my original career goal. That was writing. Teaching was my backup. I\u2019ve blogged about the career path cycle \u2014 writing, programming, teaching<\/a>, miscellaneous \u2014 and my attempts to end that cycle<\/a>. Under- or unemployment<\/a> wasn\u2019t a goal.<\/p>\n The Autistic Me\u00a0<\/em>seems negative because I don\u2019t post much positive, and I focused since 2007 on education and employment.<\/strong><\/p>\n Forgive the rambling justification of the last dozen years. I wanted to offer some context for why this blog evolved as it did.<\/p>\n What matters to me, in something of value order:<\/p>\n Blogging about the children isn\u2019t something I\u2019m comfortable with, at least not in any detail. The girls are the most important people in my life, and the most important aspect of me is The Daddy Me. Being a parent means I keep active, keep learning, and keep teaching. We value experiences, so I do as much as I can with the girls.<\/p>\n My wife is just as important as the girls. When she\u2019s had health issues, I have felt much worse than when I needed surgeries. She\u2019s my best friend. She\u2019s the primary provider in our house. She\u2019s the better parent, in many ways, with routines and rules the girls need. Susan is a better person than I am and I have never felt worthy of her friendship or companionship.<\/p>\n Family is important, especially our parents \u2014 the girls\u2019 grandparents. The girls need to know they are loved and wanted by the entire extended family. My sister does a lot for my parents. I feel horrible that we\u2019re not closer. That\u2019s one reason we moved to Texas; it is closer by air in an emergency. My in-laws have their other daughters nearby, too, back in our hometown. Still, I know my wife wants to help her parents, too.<\/p>\n Learning is next on my list because learning helps me be a better son, husband, and father. It also helps if a teacher likes to learn. The reason I enjoy teaching is because it leads to learning, if you\u2019re a good teacher.<\/p>\n Creating has always been a part of my self-identity. Writer is the one label I embrace that isn\u2019t connected to family<\/strong>. <\/strong>I care a lot more about being known as a writer than being a teacher, and that\u2019s an admission that probably hurts my teaching interviews. Writing comes first, and teaching was a path that supports the writing. I write for myself, my daughters, and publication. I write to learn. I write because I am compelled to do so. To me, and some other scholars, programming is a specialized form of writing.<\/p>\n I believe other autistics might appreciate that \u201csocial connections\u201d come last in this list. It\u2019s hard for me to form connections and difficult to maintain those relationships.<\/p>\n The Autistic Me should evolve as a blog and podcast.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Our days are all about the girls. That\u2019s how parenting works. I don\u2019t spend nearly as much time thinking about me as this blog suggest. We moved for the girls (and our families). I stuck with teaching to be home when they are home, even when teaching hasn\u2019t been the easiest or best career path. My wife is a Girl Scout troop leader for the girls. She takes them to swimming lessons and, soon, soccer again.<\/p>\n Before work, we are getting the girls off to school. After work, we\u2019re delivering the girls to various activities. When the girls are home, we are reading, playing board games, and spending time outside. We\u2019re all about improving their lives, making sure they have the best opportunities possible.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t spend more than a few hours a week on autism issues.\u00a0The Autistic Me<\/em> isn\u2019t busy with speaking gigs (though, please do contact me if you need an autistic speaker), training conferences, or other advocacy. I\u2019m open to opportunities, but I\u2019m not aggressively marketing myself as an expert on all things autism or the autistic experience.<\/p>\n Some self-advocates has asked me to be more active, to do more and seek more public exposure. Maybe I do have an obligation to be more engaged. I need to reflect on those requests from autistics who want me to be more of a mentor and leader.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not sure what this blog will become. Let me know what you want to read and hear.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We are all more than what observers believe us to be. It\u2019s been brought to my attention that The Autistic Me blog and podcast have been located and read by potential employers. I am not The Autistic Me, and anyone assuming to know me from this blog alone \u2014 or…<\/p>\n\n