My Scrambled Eggs Smell Like Wet Dog
By Wendy Pierman Mitzel
My scrambled eggs smell like wet dog.
This is my morning observation for the second day of the year 2020.
This is the year, we all say, things will become clear with 2020 vision. But really, how is anything different than two days ago, when the calendar read 2019?
Hindsight is not always 2020, by the way. More often than not, it is no easier to discern the why or how of anything with ten years distance than it is in the moment.
But what is possible, I think as I get older, is the ability to honor intuition. Looking back, the gut feeling has been the right call a lot of the time. Even when I fought it. Tried to reason with it. I don't always trust it. And even when I do, I don't know exactly how to act upon it and often don't. But when I have, it has given me no good reason to doubt it.
A few years ago, I became convinced I had a tumor in my abdomen. I jokingly told my doctor, who dismissed it as I had no real symptoms. I was ready to let it go, but my inner voice spoke louder. I firmly asked for an ultrasound and we discovered a giant ovarian cyst, ready to burst.
Still, it's not just about the physical.
It's about seeing that person Read more...
2/15/2017 ~~~~A few years ago I wrote this after a particularly difficult spell. Since then, there have been the usual ups and downs, and a pretty big hole for a bit, as high school progressed but the good things are SO GOOD! After advocating for nearly a year to arrange for a job internship for my now 18-year-old son it's happened! He is working with dogs at a great place that is welcoming him with all his uniqueness. He passed a college class last term and is set to attend community college in the fall. He is learning to drive. He is learning to thrive! Thanks to the support of friends, family and the caring educators who see the benefit for ALL when you help even ONE, we are heading into adulthood. The difficult spells are still there. But time and experience are helping us stay on track more often than not. It's the ride we're on and we are going the distance.
~~~ By Wendy Pierman Mitzel 4/3/13
Living with Asperger’s can be difficult for me, and I don’t even have it.
My teenage son does, and while he bears the brunt of the high-functioning autism disorder, at times it can take a toll on the rest of the family.
Many days my heart soars for him, other times it breaks 
"O, wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, That has such people in't!"
It's appropriate that the words of Shakespeare come to mind when I stumble upon this heartwarming story about an actress with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Company in London. She and her colleagues have developed a method to improve communication in Autistic children using Shakespeare’s plays. Using Shakespeare to Treat Autism Shows Great Promise, Say Researchers
It's no secret that my son has Asperger's, a highly functioning form of Autism. While he was not necessarily challenged by verbal communication issues (believe me, when he is engaged in a topic of his choosing he can talk your ear off!) my experiences within the Autism community have led me to spaces where others have struggled to express themselves. It's not that ASD individuals aren't thinking and feeling, it's just that somewhere along the way, the lines get crossed and communication is compromised.
It's people like Kelly Hunter and her colleagues who think in ways that challenge our typical learning styles that can make all the difference. Ask an Aspie like my son, and he will tell