Hello my dear community, I hope you are all very well and thank you for the opportunity you give me to write about this wonderful experience I had back in my youth in relation to Emily, who is a girl with ASD and who showed me her life from the innocence and grace with which she said things.
Emily y yo
Aquí está
Emily and I In my youth, I was all about parties, going out, travelling, studying, and all that college stuff; my friend's sister gets pregnant and everything was like WOW! Because we were young and it wasn't in the plans. As a result of the actions of her age and various misadjustments she made during her pregnancy, since she didn't know she was pregnant, her pregnancy got a bit complicated and our Emily was born premature. I remember that I went to visit her and obviously we had no mobile phone or communication but I arrived home and greeted her normally; a second later I realised and asked her: "What about your belly, expecting the worst, she told me: Here it is.
And she showed me the baby in a small mobile (like a small cradle). I couldn't believe it, at only six months old, would she live, would she be normal, would the parents be prepared for a loss, look, many questions went through my head and they explained to me the complications but they were sure that their daughter would live. That conviction helped them that month by month, they were overcoming obstacles and Emily was developing both motorically and cognitively like any other child her age. Obviously, she had some sequelae, but just the fact that she was alive was a miracle. As the days went by, and being the only little one in the house and among her friends, she was spoiled and loved. I had my nephews and nieces at home, but living far away and spending the whole day at Emily's house, I shared a lot with her; we played, slept together, sometimes we fought with her aunt (who was my friend and things like that). Honestly, I remember her having a very peaceful childhood, only that she had ASD. This was an unknown term and even ignored because I associated it directly with some psychomotor disorder, so much ignorance on my part! So I thought -but she looks normal- and this upset me but I didn't pay attention but we continued in the same dynamic of "seeing her grow up like any other child".
There are two episodes that taught me to understand a little bit the "style" or the way of seeing things and what for us "is normal" is difficult for them or they simply have a different appreciation.
"The cat in the rain"
One day I arrived at her aunt's flat on the ground floor, in a taxi, no change, raining, with some bags and she was at the window, when I started to tell her:
-Emily, call your aunt.
-Why are you getting wet?
-Emily, call your aunt.
-Why are you wetting yourself?
In my desperation, I remember that orders should be clear: -Emily please, I'm telling you to go and call your aunt- -Emily, call your aunt.
And without moving she says to me: "And I'm asking you why are you wetting yourself?"
I just laughed, explained to her that I was coming back from a trip and I didn't have any cash and that her aunt would give it to me and she was like Ah! it's ok, I'll call her and she was calm 🤣.
"La gata bajo la lluvia"
Un día llego al apartamento de su tía en planta baja, en un taxi, no tenía cambio, lloviendo, con unas bolsas y ella estaba en la ventana, cuando comencé a decirle:
-Emily, llama a tu tía.
-¿Por qué te mojas?
-Emily, que llames a tu tía.
-¿Por qué te mojas?
En mi desesperación, recuerdo que las órdenes deben ser claras: -Emily por favor, te estoy diciendo que vayas y llames a tu tía-
Y ella sin moverse me dice: -Y yo te estoy preguntando que ¿por qué te mojas?
Solo me quedó reirme, explicarle que estaba llegando de viaje y no tenía dinero en efectivo y que su tia me lo daría y fue como que ¡Ah! esta bien, ya la llamo y fue tranquila 🤣.
Another time, we were shopping and she asked me what the name of "that advertisement" was and I told her to go. She is thinking and I start to explain: In her city it is very common to say a word "vaye" which in the end I don't have how to define it but it is a well-known and accepted expression. So my explanation went like this:
Go to means many things; Go to the go, billboard and there is a third one which is vayeeeeeeee (making emphasis and lengthening the word) and I start to laugh but in a disproportionate way and with a lot of noise, to which she didn't even move like the previous time; She didn't understand my laughter, she didn't understand my explanation, I felt ashamed that she was ashamed of my behaviour because I laughed so hard, in short, it was a moment when I apologised to her and explained to her when I calmed down; I remember her face of "Everything OK at home? and I smile again.
Hasta una nueva oportunidad
Episodes like these were very constant but she grew up and today she is almost graduated from high school, she draws beautifully, she is in the art of lettering and although she doesn't like parties on her birthday, I think she has adapted very well to society so it will be very easy for her to face university life, coming out victorious 😇. Having her in her first years, it was a very nice experience and I think that as well as my ignorance was, a lot of information, education, awareness, empathy, and adaptation is needed because in this world she must understand that this condition came to teach us to be better. Thank you for allowing me to share this experience. I made the cover in Canvas. The photograph has its source. I made the divider in FotoJet and the banner in Canvas. Until a new opportunity.