Susan's Blog

Monday, February 23, 2009

Un-Funny Girl

I am on the plane now, with 5 hours to go. I don’t feel up to this. I do have a row to myself, at least, and so I guess I’ll sleep. I am sad to leave L.A.; I had a really great time. I feel like I want to live out here where it is warm and friendly. Boston is neither. But Boston has become my home for the last 20 years.

With Nat almost into adulthood (post-22) we are no longer as chained to our town. I think about how moving always seemed like it would be a total nightmare, because town by town special education is different. But post-22, it sucks everywhere, so you might just decide to live in L.A. and find housing for your darling there. There is the little B to think of. Pretty sure Max is going off to college year after next so he is less rooted to where we are.

B will never want to move. I don’t blame him.

He is so cute, I miss him terribly and his pencil-smelling hair.

I did a ton of work on my book, thanks to Mom’s feedback. Now I think this is really the title, at least for today:

Autism Mom: How to Take Care of Yourself, Your Kids, Find Your Sanity, and Not Lose Your Way

A little toothsome, but the book is more about not losing your way than it is about “fun.” I could never do a book just about how do you have fun. I have whole years where I’m not having fun! I try not to be a hypocrite.

But stay tuned; you never know what the marketing department is going to think. They might slap “fun” on the title, but you, my dear community, will know the truth.

By the way, I don’t have the answer, but I do have a lot of other parents’ wisdom to share.

12 comments

Hi Susan,
Great title but I think you have to turn it into a 3 or 4 letter acronym to be really with it in disability circles. Having said that though, I am really over acronyms. Every meeting I go to now is peppered with them! My latest pet hate is PLOP ( present level of performance)

— added by Sue on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 2:59 am

Hi: no dads in your new book? How come only moms are mentioned in the title?

— added by Anonymous on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 5:50 am

If it’s not fun it’s not worth doing. Ok, sometimes. Have a safe flight.

— added by Someone Said on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 6:27 am

YOU GUYS ARE HARSHING MY MELLOW!!

— added by Susan Senator on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 7:43 am

Okay: NO acronyms. Ick.
Dads are in the book, just not in the title.
Guy Rude: ??????

— added by Susan Senator on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 7:44 am

Services in Massachusetts for people who turn 22 (T-22 transitional planning) is far ahead of most if not any other states.

As I’ve said before your son has the Cadillac of residential services and he is still in his teens. Most people living at home stay at home until age 22 at the earliest.

California is the sunshine state but in weather only.

Sorry to continue to stomp on your mellow. (great line).

— added by Anon on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 8:09 am

Actually California is much better than other states in financially caring for autistic people over the age of 22 from what I have heard. Not good at school age but good once they reach adulthood. Don’t let the the “cadillac” of Mass. services fool you. The services sound much better than they really are.

— added by Anonymous on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 11:23 am

Okay, everyone, settle down…
We ain’t moving anyway. I love living here in this frozen wasteland.

But don’t listen to me, I’m totally jet lagged.

— added by Susan Senator on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 12:17 pm

God, definately leave “fun” out. Kick and scream if you have to to get your way.

It isn’t and we all know it.

— added by Anonymous on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 12:22 pm

Hey, it’s not always fun but never dull here.

— added by cameramom on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 1:07 pm

Hi Susan
Maybe the book title could be changed to “mum” for the English market but I love explanatory titles like this

— added by Anonymous on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 3:14 pm

Hope you had a great flight! Those cross-country flights are just plain long and draining. Hope you at least had a decent movie to watch. You are right, it is not always fun.

— added by Amy on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 at 12:40 am