Wesley and Me (my short story)

I can still remember the first time I talked to Wesley Colson as if it was yesterday. Every day at recess I would see him playing with his yellow Tonka truck on the far end of the playground by the fence. He was always alone, and I couldn’t comprehend why this was; with his blond hair and freckles, he was by far one of the cutest boys I had ever seen. Each day I would make a promise to myself to go over and talk to him, but I was never able to find the courage. There were several times that I actually made it half way over to him, but my nerves always got the best of me, and I would quickly turn away.
One day, while playing jump rope with my friend Sarah, I stole a glance in Wesley’s direction. As I did so, I noticed a group of boys walking towards him. Once they reached where he was sitting, a tall, dark-haired boy—who appeared to be leading the group—stepped forward and threw a ball directly at Wesley’s face. Immediately after he did this, the other boys followed by throwing balls of their own. My mouth flew open in shock, and I let out a gasp. I was appalled that they could be so cruel, especially to Wesley. He hadn’t even done anything to provoke them! As I watched for Wesley’s reaction, I realized that he wasn’t going to defend himself. Each time a ball would hit him, he would cringe a little but not move away. Enraged by this realization, I threw down my jump rope and started sprinting in the direction of the boys.
“Kennedy! Where are you going?” I heard Sarah call out after me, but I ignored her and continued running as fast as my little legs could take me. Once I reached the group of boys, I moved in between them and Wesley.
“Stop it!” I screamed at them, “What is wrong with you guys? Leave him alone!”
“Move!” the dark-haired boy yelled back at me.
“No!” I refused, “Why are you being so mean to him?”
“Because he’s a loser face!” a different boy replied.
“Yeah!” the other boys agreed in unison. With that comment, I let out an exasperated cry.
“Just leave him alone,” I said in an indignant voice, “or I’m going to get one of the teachers!” When I said this, several of the boys laughed, while some of the others rolled their eyes.
“Whatever,” the dark-haired boy replied. I gave him the angriest look I could produce.
“Looks like you’re a loser face too,” he said with a laugh as he turned to walk away. The others joined in the laughter as they followed him. Ignoring them, I turned to look at Wesley. He was staring very intently at the ground.
“You okay?” I asked in a soft voice, but Wesley continued to look at the ground.
“They’re jerks,” I tried again, “don’t worry about them.” Yet again, Wesley didn’t look up. I noticed that he had slowly started to rock back and forth. As he did this, he anxiously began to look around, avoiding looking at me.
“What’s wrong?” I said in a worried voice. I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t look at me. I figured that he didn’t want to talk about the bullies, so I decided to take a different approach to conversation.
“Well,” I began, “My name is Kennedy.” He still didn’t look at me. By that point, I had begun to get a little irritated.
“You’re Wesley, right?” Finally, Wesley looked up at me. His big, blue eyes seemed to be filled with fear, but I couldn’t figure out what he would be fearful of. As I stared into his eyes, he quickly looked away.
“Wesley,” he replied in a quiet, monotone voice.
“Well it’s nice to meet you,” I said with a smile. Wesley didn’t reply or return my smile.
“Can I play with you?” I asked in a hesitant voice. Wesley was silent once again. I decided that maybe he just didn’t like me, so I turned to walk away.
“Okay,” I heard a small voice call out from behind me. I slowly turned around to look at him.
“Really?” I asked. Wesley nervously looked around, avoiding my face.
“Yes.”
“Alright,” I said with a smile as I went and sat down next to him.
“Can I see your truck?” I asked. Wesley hesitated before slowly rolling the truck over to me.
“Wow!” I marveled, “This is a cool truck! I like the yellow color.”
“Yeah,” he said, looking at the ground. As I rolled the truck backwards, he quickly grabbed it.
“That’s not how you play with it,” he said while looking at the ground.
“What?” I asked, confused.
“You’re only supposed to roll it forwards.” I didn’t understand why this was, but I agreed to not roll it backwards anymore. As we continued to play, though, I made another mistake. While rolling the truck back to Wesley, my silver charm bracelet hit along the fence, making a continual clanking sound. When Wesley heard this, he let a scream and raised his hands up to cover his ears.
“Wesley!” I exclaimed in a shocked voice, “What’s wrong?”
“Stop it!” he cried.
“Stop what?” I exclaimed, frightened.
“The Noise?”
“What noise?”
“Clanking noise!” he said, as he excessively began to rock back and forth. I immediately stopped rolling the truck.
“It’s okay!” I assured him. In an attempt to stop his rocking, I placed my hands on his shoulders. At my touch, he let out another cry. Shocked and a bit hurt by his reaction, I slowly backed away. For several minutes, I just sat there and watched him rocking. I began to wonder why I had even bothered coming over to him in the first place. He’s so mean! No wonder he was always alone! As I was thinking this, though, I remembered a verse I had heard in Sunday School.
“Do unto others as you would have them to unto you,” I whispered softly to myself. Despite the resentment that had begun to rise up within me, I decided to try to be nice to him once more.
“Wesley,” I said in a calm voice, “Are you okay?”
Wesley’s behavior confused me. I couldn’t figure out why he was so closed off, for all I had been was kind to him. Also, his inability to hold eye contact and his excessive rocking made me feel uneasy. He was definitely not what I expected. I finally understood why no one wanted to be his friend. He was basically a social misfit. Instead of looking down on him for this—as everyone else did—I felt compassion for him. He might have had trouble communicating with others, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t want to. It was only when I came to this realization that I decided to ask him a certain question.
“Will you be my friend?” After I asked this, Wesley’s rocking began to slow. When he finally stopped, he stared intently at the ground. Ever so slowly, Wesley lifted his gaze until our eyes finally met. I will never forget the look he gave me. It was a look of both surprise and confusion. I stared back at him, waiting for a reply.
“Okay,” he said very softly as he fixed his gaze back at the ground.
It has now been eleven years since that day, and we are still the best of friends. Though our friendship has been one of the best I have ever experienced, it definitely has not been easy. As it has been shown in my story, Wesley is not like most people. This is due to the fact that he has Asperger’s Syndrome—a mild form of autism. Those with Asperger’s have trouble interacting socially with others. They also possess odd behavioral habits—such as an inability to hold eye contact, a lack of conversational and social skills, a sensitivity to sound or touch, and a tendency to take things very literally. I once heard an Aspergian say, “People with Asperger’s want contact with people very much. We’re just pathetically clueless at it, that’s all.” It is because of this that Wesley recently thanked me. If I hadn’t befriended him, he might have gone on friendless throughout his life. He believes that if that had happened he might have fallen into some kind of depression. Needless to say, I am very glad that I took a step out of my comfort zone and took a chance on Wesley.

"Don't Laugh at Me, Don't Call Me Names" (magazine/journal article)

Summary:
Jan Blacher’s and Stacey Lauderdale’s article, “Don’t Laugh at Me, Don’t Call Me Names,” begins with the description of an eighth grader named Ken, who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome. Ken is very good with computers and is even nicknamed the “electronic wiz” (Blacher 62). Recently, Ken has been subject to continually bullying. It was discovered that three kids from his Physical Education class stole his ipod, but when his parents asked about it, Ken denied that any bullying had taken place. Sadly, Ken’s story is not uncommon for other children with Asperger’s Syndrome. So many kids with Asperger’s are victimized, and parents of these children are concerned for their child’s “social survival,” for the bullying can cause negative effects—such as clinical levels of anxiety or depression (Blacher 62). Blacher and Lauderdale believe the sole reason that kids with Asperger’s are subject to bullying is because they don’t have the appropriate social awareness. In the article, a list of strategies and interventions is provided for parents and teachers, so that this bullying can be prevented.

Response:
I thought the article “Don’t Laugh at Me, Don’t Call Me Names” was a sad—but very true—article. I first read about the victimization of those with Asperger’s in one of my earlier sources—Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s. In this memoir, John Elder Robinson describes his difficult childhood. When he asked several other kids if they would play with him, the kids refused and started calling him “monkey face” (Robinson 17). After this, Robinson went crying to his mom and said, “I just don’t know how to make friends. No one likes me.” All Robinson’s mom could do was rub his back, for she didn’t know what to say (Robinson 17). I understand exactly how his mom felt. Since I work in the playroom at the YMCA, I myself have actually witnessed autistic children being abused by other children, and it never fails to anger me. There is one autistic boy in particular that I see constantly abused. He is the most precious little boy, but he seems to live in his own little world. One day, he accidentally knocked over another child’s toy, and the other child started throwing balls at him. Not knowing what else to do, I immediately scolded the boy throwing the balls and told him to stop. When he told me that the autistic child walk right through his toys, I replied, “I know. He didn’t know any better.” When the boy asked what I meant by that, I didn’t know how to respond, for he was too young to understand the meaning of autism. All in all, I feel the same way as parents with autistic children do. The only thing we can really do is watch for any signs of bullying, and if it is detected, we must stop it before it can continue.

Blacher, Jan, and Stacey Lauderdale. “Don’t Laugh at Me, Don’t Call Me Names.” The Exceptional Parent. 38.8 (August 2008): 62(2). General OneFile. Gale. Alabama Virtual Library Remote Access. 9 April 9, 2009 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodld=IPS>.

Robinson, John Elder. Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, 2007.

Asperger's: My Life as an Earthbound Alien (CNN article)

Summary:
“Asperger’s: My Life as an Earthbound Alien” is an anonymously written article by a CNN manager. Recently, she learned—at the age of 48—that she has Asperger’s Syndrome. Though she was unaware of the disorder most of her life, she always knew she wasn’t quite like everyone else. In fact, she spent years searching for answers, but her efforts proved fruitless. It wasn’t until she was received an assignment to research autism that she finally uncovered the truth. Like many Aspergians, she has an extensive vocabulary and an uninflected way of speaking. On account of her disorder, her senses are intensified, especially in regards to lights, noises, textures, and smells; she is so sensitive to touch that a tickle brings her pain. Also due to her Asperger’s, she is frequently accused of lacking a sense of humor. This is a misconception, for most Aspergians tend to take things very literally and overlook the subtle humor present in everyday conversations. Though her Asperger’s—at times—proves to be problematic, she has been blessed with an understanding best friend and a patient, loving husband, which is all she really needs.

Response:
“Asperger’s: My life as an Earthbound alien” is a fantastic and informative article. I am amazed by how I have been able to find such a variety of great sources. When I first started this project, I assumed that most of my sources would be repetitive, but so far, I have been proved wrong. This article presented me with new bits of information that none of my others sources even mentioned, and if the information was mentioned, the other sources did not go into as much detail as this one did. For example, the narrator of this article explains the extent of her sensitivity to touch. She explains, “I am so sensitive to touch that a tickle hurts me” (“Aspergers: My Life”). I was surprised when I read that, for it is hard to comprehend how a tickle can hurt you. Another thing that she went into detail on was her approach towards small talk; on account of her Asperger’s, she doesn’t quite understand the concept of it. For example, she explains, “At meetings, I launch into business without the social acknowledgments” (“Asperger’s: My Life”). Because of this, she sometimes comes off as rude. Not only do I like how detailed she was in explaining her symptoms, but I also like how her Asperger’s is apparent in her writing. For example, she explains—due to her Asperger’s—she has an extensive vocabulary, and it is definitely obvious in her writing. She used words such as “soliloquize” and “solecisms” (“Asperger’s: My Life”). Because of this, I had to rely on my abilities with context clues to get me through the article. All in all, I thought this was a very interesting and informative article.

“Asperger’s: My Life as an Earthbound Alien.” CNN. 3 March 2008. 2 April 2009.

"The Kiriana Conundrum" by Carlin Flora

Summary:
Carlin Flora’s article, “The Kiriana Conundrum,” focuses on Kiriana Cowansage—a graduate student who was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of 19. This disorder was difficult to live with as a young girl, for she possessed a certain “maleness” (Flora 96). This means that she systemizes more than she empathizes. Like most that have Asperger’s, she has trouble interacting socially with others. Because she was not born with the ability to interpret social cues, she observes others until she learns the social “rules” and is able to imitate them. Though she may seem like a girl trapped inside a boy’s body, Asperger’s has not limited her. Kiriana was able become to an ace science student, an amazing artist, and a forceful writer.

Response:
After reading “The Kiriana Conundrum” by Carlin Flora, I realized I had—yet again—chosen a commendable source. The thing I liked most about this article is the fact that it tells a story of a girl—instead of a boy—with Asperger’s Syndrome. I was excited when I found this source because girls are rarely diagnosed with Asperger’s. In fact, Asperger’s is apparently “much more common in boys than girls” (Flora 96). Because of this, Kiriana can be seen as a girl trapped in a boy’s body. Throughout the article, I continually found myself comparing Kiriana to John Elder Robinson—author of the memoir Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s. One of the times I found myself doing this is when Flora is discussing how Kiriana had to learn social rules, so she would be able to avoid awkward conversations and situations (Flora 97). In his memoir, John tells how—as a child—he did not know how to social interact with others. For example, during recess one day, John walked over to a girl named Chuckie and patted her on the head. John figured she would like this, for his dog had liked it; but instead, Chuckie responded by slapping him (Robinson 9). John also describes how he had to learn how to appropriately respond to a comment like “Look at my Tonka truck.” Prior to learning social cues, John’s response would have been something around the lines of “I want some cookies.” Because he was so used to living inside his own world, he would respond with whatever was on his mind (Robinson 20). All in all, I really liked this article. It helped expand my knowledge of Asperger’s Syndrome, for up until this point, I had only read sources discussing males that suffer from the disorder.

Flora, Carlin. “The Kiriana Conundrum.” Psychology Today. Nov/Dec 2006: 96-100.

Robinson, John Elder. Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s. New York, NY:
Crown Publishers, 2007.

Asperger Sydrome: Natural Steps towards a Better Life by Suzanne C. Lawton

Summary:
In Suzanne C. Lawton’s book, Asperger Syndrome: Natural Steps towards a Better Life, she informs people about Asperger’s Syndrome, a neurological condition. She describes how Asperger’s can be incorrectly labeled as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Attention Deficit Disorder. Therefore, many with the disorder are very misunderstood. Lawton describes how those with Asperger’s often have an extensive vocabulary and a high intelligence level, so they often are seen as brilliant. On the other hand, she describes how they possess odd habits—such as obsession over routine, a lack of empathy, anxiety, and an inability to hold eye contact. Though there is no cure, Lawton explains—in this book—that there are things that one can do to reduce—or even remove—the symptoms.

Response:
I believe Lawton’s book, Asperger Syndrome: Natural Steps towards a Better Life, is a great source in regard’s to my project. Though this source is a lot more informative and informational than my other sources, I actually really enjoyed reading it. Since I have already read two books and watched a movie related to my topic, I was able to make connections while reading this book. I actually became quite excited whenever I made connections with my previous sources. For example, when Lawton describes how those with Asperger’s have an obsession with “routine,” I immediately thought of Raymond from Rain Man and Mr. Tyree from Dear John (Lawton 14). In Rain Man, Raymond has an exact routine, which he never breaks; if his routine is altered in any way, he becomes very nervous and starts to talk extremely fast (Rain Man). In Dear John, Mr. Tyree, an Aspergian, follows an exact routine as well. His son, John, describes this, when he says, “As my dad cooked, I noted the headlines in the newspaper, knowing he would read the front section first, then metro. He would ignore the sports and life section. A man of routine” (Sparks 122). Another connection I made was when Lawton describes how Aspergians make inappropriate expressions (Lawton 15). In his book, Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s, John Elder Robinson describes himself to have that exact trait. For example, when his mother’s friend is describing how a young boy was “hit by a train and killed,” John begins to smile (Robinson 29). His mother’s friend is appalled that he could find such a thing to be funny. Though John seemed to be smiling about the young boy’s death, he was actually only smiling out of relief that he wasn’t the one hit by the train. All in all, I thought this was a good source for my project, for it gave me a better understanding of Asperger’s Syndrome as a whole.

Lawton, Suzanne C. Asperger Syndrome: Natural Steps toward a Better Life. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2007.

Rain Man. Barry Levinson, dir. Mark Johnson, prod. Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass, writers. DVD. United Artists, 1988.

Robinson, John Elder. Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s. New York, NY:
Crown Publishers, 2007.

Sparks, Nicholas. Dear John. New York, NY: Warner Books, 2006.

Rain Man (movie)

Summary:
Charlie Babbit—a self-centered and insensitive young man— feels cheated, when a mysterious “trustee” receives his 3 million dollar inheritance. When he sets out to find this mystery person, he uncovers a surprising secret—a brother he never knew he had. An even bigger surprise is that his brother—Raymond—is an autistic savant, who doesn’t even understand the concept of money. In a last attempt to receive his “fair share” of the inheritance, he abducts Raymond from the institution he had been living in; but what Charlie thinks will be an easy task ends up being the most challenging experience of his life. Raymond’s odd habits—obsession over routine, sensitivity to loud noises, excessive rambling, continual rocking, and anxiety—leave Charlie feeling exhausted, annoyed, and somewhat overwhelmed. As Charlie spends more time with Raymond, though, his callous heart begins to soften, and his love for his brother begins to grow.

Response:
I think Rain Man is a fantastic movie! It is touching but at the same time funny. It also is a great source, in regards to my project. Raymond—an autistic savant—shares many of the same characteristics as those with Asperger’s; this is because Asperger’s is mild form of autism. Since Raymond has a very severe case of autism, though, all of the symptoms are intensified. Some of the symptoms that Raymond shares with those who have Asperger’s are his excessive rocking, his sensitivity to touch and sound, his obsession with routine, his inability to hold eye contact, his monotone voice, his naivety, and his anxiety. I was amazed—while reading some of my more informative sources—that so many of the Aspergian symptoms apply to Raymond.
One thing I found so interesting about Raymond is his incredible ability to deal with numbers, which qualifies him as savant. The first time I ever heard of a savant was in one of my earlier sources—John Elder Robinson’s book, Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s. Robinson describes savants as individuals with autism who “can focus their minds extremely sharply” (Robinson 207). Most savants have amazing gifts, as Raymond did. Raymond’s savant ability deals with numbers. It includes things such as memorizing numbers from a phone book, answering a math equation within seconds, and memorizing statistics. For example, while sitting in a restaurant with Charlie, Raymond takes one look at the waitress’s name tag and says, “Sally Dibbs. Dibbs Sally. 461-0192” (Rain Man). When the waitress asks how he knew her phone number, he replies, “I read the telephone book last night. Sally Dibbs. 461-0192” (Rain Man). Apparently, Raymond had memorized halfway through the phone book the night before, which I found to be quite incredible. Another thing that I found to be even more incredible was when a doctor asked Raymond the square root of 2,130, and he immediately answered, “46.15192304” (Rain Man). He was correct! I think Raymond’s ability is utterly amazing and intriguing. This movie was a fabulous source, for it gave me a visual of how individuals with autism and Asperger’s function in this world.

Rain Man. Barry Levinson, dir. Mark Johnson, prod. Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass, writers. DVD. United Artists, 1988.

Robinson, John Elder. Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, 2007.

Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robinson (memoir)

Summary:
Ever since he was young, John Elder Robinson longed to connect with others, but that proved to be nearly impossible. His odd behavioral habits— an inability to hold eye contact, a lack of conversational and social skills, an inability to stand still, and a lack of empathy—gave him the title of the “social misfit.” Many thought he was defective because he was different, but really, he was just misunderstood. John grew up knowing he was different, and it wasn’t until he was forty that he was diagnosed with a mild form of autism called Asperger’s Syndrome. Instead feeling bitter, he actually felt relieved. He finally had a better understanding of why he was the way he was. He no longer had to wonder why he felt uncomfortable looking someone in the eye, or why he found it difficult to participate in a normal conversation. Despite all of this, he had accomplished a lot in his life. Whether it was creating the legendary fire-breathing guitar for KISS or building a family of his own, John was able to lead a normal—even exciting—life.

Response:
After reading this book, I have mixed feelings towards it. In regards to the topic of Asperger’s, it is fantastic and very informative. I found some of the stories he told of his childhood to be quite humorous. When he was younger, he would play with blocks with his friend Doug. He told of how he never mixed different colored blocks together, and when Doug would mix the blue blocks with the red blocks, John would hit him. John became quite frustrated when his mother would scold him, for she never saw the “terrible things he did” (Robinson 7). I found that particular story to be hilarious, for Doug hadn’t actually done anything wrong. John told many other stories like that portraying his Aspergian tendencies, and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. On the other hand, the novel itself had a rather dark and depressing feel to it. It dealt with many dark topics such as the ridicule he endured as a child, his father’s alcoholism, his mother’s mental illness, his parents’ eventual divorce, his mother decision to become bisexual, and his life with the band KISS. Though I didn’t particularly like the darker side of the novel, I found his examples and explanations of Asperger’s Sydrome very helpful and interesting. All and all, I thought it was a pretty decent book, but it is not one that I will be rereading anytime soon.

Robinson, John Elder. Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, 2007.