Communication

One of my colleagues here at work is Deaf. She has told me that she is possibly one of the worst lip-readers ever. I am possibly the worst at Auslan.

I feel really bad about this. I am so eager to learn how to communicate with Stef, so I've asked her to teach me sentences. So far I know, "My name is Leisa. I work at Arts Access. I am the receptionist."

I'm not going to go too far with that.

Stef and I communicate with finger spelling, mime and note writing. We also communiate by email. I guess it's the best we can do for now.

The hardest thing is that Stef is unknown to me. She seems like such a lovely person, but our communication difficulties prevent us from really knowing each other properly. Sometimes there's an Auslan Interpreter in the office so we can communicate through the interpreter, but when I am talking Stef has to watch the interpreter which means that we miss out on eye contact.

Eye contact. This is something my 20 year old son has a problem with as well. He has communication difficulties also. He has Aspergers Syndrome.

We have only just been given this diagnosis. Receiving it was partly relief, partly a kick to the solar plexus. Relief because for years and years, since my son was about eight years old I was trying to tell any specialist who would listen that, "There's something about him. He's not just shy. There's something more. He is just as quiet and "shy" around us as his family as he is around strangers." A kick to the solar plexus because this is something that is, to my mind, serious. It's on the Autism Spectrum. It's another disability for him to negotiate on top of his already existing one.

No one would listen. I would just get, "He's shy. He's just like other teenage boys, all grunt no talk. He'll grow out of it. He's just like his father was at this age."

Never underestimate the instinct of a mother. I knew something wasn't right. I knew he wasn't just shy.

It's a long story how we finally came to have him diagnosed, but I will tell you that it came from the most unlikely of places.

We are now learning a new path. Things are still the same as always, but at least now we have a little more understanding; and the knowledge that he's not going to "grow out of it". This is just him and we have to learn new ways to communicate in ways that he will understand. I am reading as much as I can about "being an Aspie". I bought John Elder Robison's books, "Look Me In The Eye" and "Be Different" in the hope of getting the perspective of an older Aspie and being able to help my son.

Part of me is still a little angry that no one listened to me all those years ago, but I am grateful that we are here now and learning a new path. One of my life mottos is that it's never too late. I don't believe it's too late for my son. John Elder Robison was 40 when he was diagnosed. My son was 19.

I am looking forward to learning a couple of new ways to communicate - one so I can get to know Stef and the other so I can get to know my own son.

Spoiled

I'm truly a momentum person. I'm better if I get going right from the starting blocks and just keep running until the race ends at the end of the day, or the week or whatever.

I've been thoroughly spoiled this week. Easter has meant that I only have to work one day a week this week, and that's tomorrow.

Do you think I want to go to work tomorrow? Not on your sweet Nelly! It will start at 5am. I will be at my workplace at 9am and won't be back home again until 6:45pm. Not happy Jan! (that's an Aussie saying with a commercial to go along with it. Have a look on YouTube and search for Not Happy Jan and you will probably see what I'm harping on about.)

Oh man! This stupid laptop has decided to chuck a hissy fit and keep jumping the cursor around into the middle of already written sentences and I keep having to fix it so I'm just giving up right at this point in time.

The fact that I have also had two glasses of wine may also be another reason why I am a little less tolerant of the quirks of this laptop.

Exploration and Adventure.

There's a little voice in the office today. Ruthie has brought in two-and-a-half year old Maya because her babysitter couldn't make it. Maya burst though the door full of chatter. "Look! I've got a flower in my hair!" She has done the rounds of the office, chatting and galloping like only a two-and-a-half year old can. She is excited. She can't wait until ten o'clock because she will hear the, "Bong! Bong! Bong!" of the clock in the Town Hall next door. She is quiet at the moment. I think she's watching Charlie and Lola.

I miss having little ones that age. I love the full-blown excitement for life they have; the wide-eyed looking at the world. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we never lost that ability to see the world as a place filled with new things to explore and adventure around every corner? My five year old neice Taylah still has it. She bursts into the room, expecting to find friends. She explores and plays and chats with so much gusto that she actually sweats. You see her take a moment to rest and her hair is damp and sticking to her face. All her energy is taken up with playing.

That's something for me to contemplate today. Maybe I am spending all my energy on things that don't need it. I'd like to think that I can become exhausted from throwing myself into life with full gusto, seeing adventure around every corner - even if the adventure is something others may seem as trivial. Adventure and exploration can be found everywhere in something as simple as a fallen leaf or a pretty shell on the beach.

We all had it once. Maybe that sense of adventure just got crowded out with the mundane and the trivial.

Nothing but Knitting

Hmmm...this is going to take longer than I first thought. I have the knitting bug and I am practicing a LOT. I'm just finshing up an adorable little baby cardigan.

Trouble is, in my entire 40-something years I have only ever finished ONE item on my own....and that was over 25 years ago. I am only just getting back into the hang of things, working out how to mattress sew hems so they sit flat, pick up stitches along an edge to create a ribbed section. This first item I'm finishing is DEFINITELY a practice run. It's most certainly not a sellable item. This depresses me a little. I'm a perfectionist at heart and I want to get it right the first time round. However, I do appreciate the process of learning from my mistakes and know that once I get into the hang of things I'll be whipping up things of better standard.

I'm pretty excited about it.

I've been trawling Etsy, looking for patterns that are quick, cute and easy and also come with the permission of the designer to sell my finished work. Eventually I want to be able to create my own patterns.

I like this enthusiasm I feel. It feels like I'm onto something. I know I'm not going to become rich because of it but the thought of making things that make other people happy really does something for me.

Random dotty dots

Shocking blogger I am!

So, you all get dotty updates today.

• My eldest daughter and I went to see Hairspray on Saturday afternoon at The Princess Theatre. Brilliant!
• I am wanting to start up a home based business - knitting and crocheting (although I have to reacquaint myself with how to crochet) baby hats and jackets and booties. All sorts of novelty things - like cute and kooky hats with ears etc. It's a real cottage industry - or so I've noticed on Facebook. I think I can have a real crack at it and make it work. Cos you know what? I'm tired of working for The Man. I want to do something that melts my butter!
• I am so organised at home at the moment it's not funny. It's giving me a real sense of calm and contentment and I'm full of confidence.
• Parent Teacher Interviews tonight. Should I be worried?
• My big girl is doing great guns at College. She is well liked and well accepted by all and sundry. I have never seen her look so happy or so confident. Although I miss her, I am glad she has moved out and found her feet. Fly little birdy, fly!
• I need to go and see a movie and have a glass of wine.

That is all.