2 October 2004: A Link, a Letter, and an Excerpt

After checking out more Autism sites, I decided to replace the Aspies for Freedom link on the Tribe page with a link to Autistics.org, which does similar work but has a much better site, with a huge amount of up-to-date information, and links to all kinds of valuable resources. I don't want the collection of links on the Tribe page to get so long that it discourages visitors from diving in and exploring them all, so I'm being very selective, only picking the best, trying to avoid redundancy because I don't like redundancy so I try to avoid it because reduncancy annoys me and I don't like redundancy so I avoid it.

Yesterday evening I was thrilled to find an email in my inbox from none other than Kathleen Seidel, creator of the Neurodiversity.com site:

Dear Nicky,

Thanks very much for your mention of my site in your blog today, and your nice words about The Autistic Distinction. I was lured by the links on my referrer page from http://www.nickykaa.com/Tribe.html and http://www.nickykaa.com/Days/041001.html. I've enjoyed reading some of your work, and look forward to future visits.

I've just added links to your site on http://www.neurodiversity.com/autobiography.html (alphabetical by author's first name) and http://www.neurodiversity.com/art_poetry.html (alphabetical by page title). If you ever have any suggestions for additions to the site, I'd welcome them.

I love the blog entry title, Temporary Autism Zones. You must be a fan of Peter Lamborn Wilson, too. I have another site that you may enjoy visiting:
http://www.superluminal.com/cookbook
Serving the Guest: A Sufi Cookbook and Art Gallery
which includes PLW's recipes for Bhang and Majoun, as well as a transcription of a section from one of his early works, Kings of Love. Those particular pages can be found at:
http://www.superluminal.com/cookbook/pudding_majoun.html
http://www.superluminal.com/cookbook/beverages_bhang.html
http://www.superluminal.com/cookbook/essay_bushaq.html

You might also enjoy my essay entitled Moses' Test, a meditation on the story of Moses and Khidr coming from an anti-authoritarian, independent seeker's perspective:
http://www.superluminal.com/moses

Best regards, and thanks again,

Kathleen Seidel
neurodiversity.com | honoring the variety of human wiring
http://www.neurodiversity.com

Thanks Kathleen! I hope you don't mind my reprinting of your email here, but you're my kind of people in more ways than one, and I know that your material on Superluminal.com will be of interest to many of my friends who read this journal. I know that a couple of my good friends and fellow journallers are big fans of interesting recipes (check out the Garden of the Queen section on my friend Ace's site).

Another excerpt from my Interpersonal Communications project:

The ridiculous NT superstition that eye contact demonstrates honesty, and that avoidance of eye contact indicates dishonesty, is a major obstacle to Aspies trying to get by in the NT world. It’s not good for anyone’s psyche or self-concept to grow up being falsely accused of dishonesty all the time, and it’s especially outrageous given that the average Autistic tends to be a heck of a lot more honest than the average NT.

A black person raised in a town full of racist whites is faced with two basic choices when it comes to self-esteem: either internalize the oppression and start believing oneself to be inferior, or recognize that one is not inferior, but that one is surrounded by inferiors – ignorant, small-minded bigots whose assessments of one are not worth heeding. An Autistic is faced with exactly the same choice, in regard to NTs.

Being high-functioning enough to get out in the world and meet a lot of NTs, and to watch how they behave, how they treat each other, and who they elect to public office when allowed to vote, I didn’t have much trouble figuring out that I wasn’t the inferior one. (Not that I currently regard all NTs as being “inferior” to Autistics – but I do see most of the problems in NT/Autistic relations as being caused by NT bigotry, not Autistic "disability").

Went with Dragon Lady yesterday evening to an enjoyable aikido class taught by my friend Beamish. Then Dragon Lady went to sleep and I had dinner with the Khan and wandered Downtown Berkeley with him until three in the morning. Soon I'll stroll over to the Y for one of those Saturday afternoon weapons practices that Falling Water's been leading. Then I'll go to my monthly writing group, and then Dragon Lady and I will go to Fellini for Fandango's birthday dinner. I still haven't got around to my homework.