Living with a disability (lesbian)

Chapter 3:

I get up the next morning and do my routine. My mom says it's time to go. I go and get in her car. When we get to school I get out and walk to class. When I get in class my teacher Mrs. E is not there. I ask Mrs. K where she is. Mrs. K says, "Oh her son got sick so she won't be here today."

I don't like changes so I'm about to start rocking but I don't like rocking at school so I try my hardest to stop myself. I go and sit down. When class starts Mrs. K has a really hard time having everyone stop talking. Everyone is being really loud. I cover my ears but it doesn't help so I start rocking a little bit. Mrs. K looks at me. She says, "class you need to stop being so loud because some of your class mates have really sensitive hearing." They stop but I keep rocking.

Mrs. K says, "Ann do you want to step outside?"

I nod and walk outside. I think of something calming and after a minute I calm down. I go back into class and sit down. Mrs. K says, "Ann the question this morning is to name your favorite state and it's your turn."

"My favorite state is Tennessee."

We get done and Mrs. K tells us that we will be watching a video on how to act on a job site.

About an hour later the movie ends and we have our break. I decide to write a song. I get done with my song and Mrs. K tells us that our break is over. We spend the rest of the day watching different movies about jobs. I go home and Rachel waves at me. I walk over to her and say, "hey."

"Hey do you want to hang out?"

"Yeah sure. Do you want to go to my tree house. It is like a club house."

"Yeah that sounds fun."

We go in my back yard and climb up to my tree house. It has drawings on the wall, songs I wrote on the table, a guitar in the corner, a t.v that is hooked up to a wii, Xbox, and ps3. I have a stack of games next to the t.v, and a radio next to that.

She sats, "wow this is a really nice place."

"Thanks I'm glad you like it. It's my little house away."

"That's cool."

I nod. She walks over to the drawings and look at them. "Did you draw all of these?"

"Yeah I did."

"You are really talented."

"Thanks."

"Your welcome can we play on your Xbox?"

I nod. She goes and picks out the game "Are you smarter then a 5th grader." I tell her that she can play first. She doesn't do that bab but she isn't smarter then a 5th grader. I play and when I play I grab the microphone that plugs into the controller. Every time the game ask me a question I speak into it. I get all the questions right.

She says, "wow your really smart but can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah sure."

"Why do you use the microphone?"

"Oh because sometimes I can think and say the answer but I can't put it down on paper or in this case put it down on the Xbox."

"Oh ok."

I nod. She turns my radio on and cranks it. I cover my ears and start to rock. She turns the radio down. She walks over to me and ask me what's wrong.

" My ears are really sensitive and loud noises hurt them."

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't know."

"I have something to tell you and you might not be my friend after I tell you."

"Ok."

"I have aspergers which is a type of autism."

"Oh well why wouldn't I be your friend just because of that?"

"Because some people when they find out don't want to be my friend after I tell them."

"Well I'm not most people. I do have a question though and I'm not trying to be mean in asking but what is it like living with a disability?"

"Well it's really hard at times. I used to wonder why me but then I realized that being different isn't that bad because no one is just the same as everyone else. If everyone was the same then just imagine how boring the world would be. When I realized that I also realized that I had been using my disability as a crutch. I thought long and hard about that one and then decided to stop because using a disability as a crutch you won't get very far in life. If I want something bad enough I have to put my disability to the side and work very hard to get it. I may have to work harder then others but I can do anything I put my mind to if I just believe. I once meet someone who has downs and she is very successful. She told me that her favorite saying is, "don't let people tell you what you can't do but show them what you can do."

"Oh ok I see."

"Yeah."