As today is Memorial Day in the United States. One thing I remember growing up is how on Holiday Weekends during the school year, my parents would allow me to stay up and watch TV with them. This was before we had the Internet or technology available to us. One of the movies that I remember watching was Rain Man. This was way before it was established that I was even on the spectrum. The film has had its criticism over the decades since its release. When I was diagnosed a decade after its release, it, and Forrest Gump (I movie I dearly love) was suggested as the two films to watch to familiarize myself with my newly bestowed diagnosis. Rain Man definitely hit hard, and years later I cannot watch many parts, however one scene that I can really “get” is the “Walk, Don’t Walk” scene.

While the world today has much progressed since then in that little town. I was honestly thinking about how autistic people such as myself are such literal thinkers and rule believers just as Raymond, being acted by Dustin Hoffman was in that scene. As the don’t walk sign was flashing, because of the words “DON’T WALK,” he literally stopped in his tracks and did not move and caused some discourse ultimately resulting in some sensory overload.

I was just thinking about this a few weeks ago as I was utilizing the crosswalks in my county seat. We have them in the small city that I live in too. In fact, I know the proper ways of how to walk safely in my city safely in order to minimize dangerous situations. I am grateful that our city has become more pedestrian friendly over the years to make things easier. Regardless, as I navigate situations of understanding the language of the world such as crosswalks where most of them have changed to symbols, sometimes accompanied the countdown of when that solid “hand” will appear to not walk. I am grateful to have gone to the library from a young age, even when there were book sales every month where I would purchase textbooks to learn things such as literal communication.

Many times, nowadays it comes to understanding the seriousness of a person or whether they are bantering. It is something I can mostly get but it is still a work in progress that takes time to understand. I am glad that I can cross many roads if necessary, while in full totality of understanding the safest routes of where I need to go. I honestly have to say that things like Google Maps and Street View are very useful tools in this process, but in many ways it is knowing the lay of the land and the landscape of the environments that I must traverse that keep me able to be not only more independent but be able to thrive in a world where it is always against autistic individuals . It is always important to teach the skills as early as you can along with having the necessary tools you need to support yourself or the person that you are supporting in the way that is most useful to them. It may not happen today, but as they say, today is not tomorrow.