Mental Health
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Hidden in Pain
I need to hide. Any dark place will do. Maybe, if I disappear, the memories will fade. If I get small enough— if I am quiet enough— Maybe the memories will let me go. They all need to go: the pain, the torment, the ache of never being rescued. Is there a place I can…
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Moving On From Quiet Roots
I still live within 10 minutes of where I grew up, but that will change within the next two years. I can’t wait to move somewhere new. For a long time, I believed staying close was good for my mental stability. Minimizing change while I figured out other parts of my life was helpful, but…
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Brain Bleed
I just need some peace. Why won’t it let me sleep? My invisible brain bleed leapt out of my head— it struck you, my brother, while we lay in our own beds. This battle is eating me alive. Why did it take so long to contain this? Why can’t we move on? Why can’t I…
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The Honest Town
There was once a town where everyone was brutally honest, and no one said they thought someone looked good in a dress when they looked fat. In this spirit of straightforwardness, shoes that pinched people’s feet and caused blisters weren’t made or sold. Sometimes, the population of this town made the occasional odd noise because…
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Navigating Relationships: Acceptance and Boundaries
I am not all-powerful. Sometimes, I wish I were. In senior living, I quickly learned my favorite residents—my new friends—could be gone from one week to the next. Nothing I did could keep them here. One summer, I grew close to a woman whose TV blared soap operas. Her calming presence reminded me of my…
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Finding Balance: Therapy, Autism, and Personal Growth
I’m a big advocate of therapy. For over a decade, I’ve been in and out of various therapists’ offices, and I still attend at least monthly. Lately, though, I’ve dreaded my sessions for two clear reasons: first, I struggle with ongoing motivation connected to my autism and the social challenges it brings; second, discussing painful…
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The Quizzical Case of the Roadside Squirrel
This is KW14 local news with your host, Ronald Cloud, alongside reporter Rebecca Snite. Tonight, we report on a local theater and poetry prodigy whose foray into amateur detective work yields unexpected results: Rowan Finch, 13, is well known in the community for reciting Shakespeare, writing original plays and poetry, and performing with the…
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Why I Arrive Late to Events: A Personal Reflection
I was recently asked why I tend to arrive late to in-person events. The individual who posed the question habitually arrives 15 to 30 minutes early. I will readily concede that arriving early is preferable to my own pattern of being five to fifteen minutes late, depending on the significance of the occasion. If the…
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The Importance of Truth Telling in Family Dynamics
Being called “high functioning” with autism feels odd to me because how well someone does often depends on their environment. This label can give a false sense of security and, if not considered carefully, might make someone feel separate from or even above others with disabilities. I’ve always felt fortunate to be able to drive,…
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Neighborliness, Inclusion, and the Everyday Work of Disability Advocacy
The story of the good Samaritan illustrates a core value in my faith tradition: the importance of caring for others regardless of closeness or personal bias. Often, the focus is on the Samaritan’s compassion, but I am most fascinated by the priest and Levite who passed by. Jesus intentionally made the victim and those who…
Living on the Spectrum 