Prepping for the City with Asperger's

It was a big undertaking, months in the making. And this week, finally reality. Our first mother daughter trip held the flavor and promise of the Jet Set.

With an overnight whirlwind on the horizon, a mom had to do what a mom had to do. Give her daughter a boatload of new “rules and tips”.

And, like every other teen, this mom was greeted with a bucketful of eye rolls.

But this trip was to the City. Manhattan, to be precise, where you truly need your wits about you to make the most of it in order to return home with your health, sanity – and wallet intact.

And then it hit me. Some of the “standard warnings” and “things to anticipate” need not be articulated to a teen with Asperger’s.

Realize brushing up against people in heavy sidewalk traffic is normal. (This kid never realizes when she does just that.)

Understand that most people here will be direct, and speak their minds, so don’t take it personally.

And then the most well-known NYC habit of all: Avoid eye contact.

No problem. We’re good to go!

The Blarticle

A little while ago, while mulling over newsprint rapidly being replaced by pixels and power cords, I wondered what was happening to the grand ol’ article. In the old days (about a year or two ago, right?), whether for news, opinion, or simply something goofy to read, I’d grab a newspaper or the nearest magazine, plop on the couch and read…an article. Now I push the magic button, which lights up a thin screen, click a few keys and read my friend’s blog or a news story, depending on my mood.

And then it came to me.

Sometimes, I read a blog. Sometimes, I read an article. And I’ll be darned if I can always tell the difference. So, I decided to be brave, and coin a new term. From now on, I think I’ll refer to them all as “Blarticles”.

But a good friend of mine isn’t so sure I’m onto some vernacular breakthrough. He pointed out, only the way that an honest friend can, my new word sounds like those scratchy things that attach themselves to the bottom of a boat.

Hmm…