According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 1 in 68 children has an autism spectrum disorder, a 30% increase over its 2012 estimate of 1 in 88 children.
If it is true that some of our greatest thinkers, including Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein had autism then maybe we better reexamine our attitudes toward those who are born with this disorder.
I especially enjoyed watching episodes of the ABC show, The Good Doctor, starring Doctor Shaun Murphy, who gave us a glimpse into autistic behavior.
Even though the jury is out on what causes autism, I would like to talk a little bit about the advantages of autism because I don’t care what disability we have we need to celebrate our uniqueness and not label others, trying to fit everyone in the same mold.
We won’t all be football players or tennis stars nor should we want to be because it takes all kinds to make the world go round.
If Thomas Edison, the founder of General Electric born in 1847, hadn’t been kicked out of school, after only three months in the first grade, and his mother taught him at home because his teacher said “he is addled and his mind wanders in class,” we might not have the light bulb today.
Thomas Edison was asked one time what he would have done if he hadn’t invented the light bulb he replied “I would still be in there trying…”
Why is it that we often try to put everyone in the same mold? Why do we want to categorize what is important and what has value only with the grade placed on it by those in authority?
Is there not some value in “stepping to the beat of a different drummer?”
It took Thomas Edison five thousand tries before he invented the first incandescent light bulb.
It also took Colonel Sanders one thousand times before he sold his chicken recipe. He slept in his car, while traveling across the country, trying to sell his recipe that continues to make a fortune. It took Sam Walton to perfect the mufti-purpose store, known as
Walmart, to not only make his family wealthy but to increase competition between businesses.
But back to my favorite story of Thomas Edison. I love this story because it affirms the power of persistence. The Bible says “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but time and chance happens to them all.”
God knew what he was doing when He made man. He gave us each one at least one small talent and we can use it and it will multiply or if buried it will die.
Who can place value on what we do? So many inventions come into being simply because of necessity. When we want something badly enough we can believe it into existence. It is a tried and true statement that says “what we can conceive and believe we can achieve.”
I say just keep on keeping on at whatever you do whether great or small and never ever let anyone else define what is valuable or has any worth.
None of us are alike nor should we want to be. God
made no duplicates — no two snow flakes are alike.
God must have liked variety.
How could anyone not believe in God? I find it much easier to believe in the One who made me, who causes the blood to flow through my veins and who created me to breathe without even thinking about it than to believe in atheism.
We will never fully appreciate the value of what others do in life, whether great or small, because that is how we unfortunately are made and this lack of understanding is what causes much of the conflict in the world.
If we could only understand and appreciate each other a little more — and not bully each other even as adults — we would know that it is only in our uniqueness that we celebrate our finest hours!!
Having this knowledge gives me the energy to go on even in the midst of emotional storms, but I am energized knowing that God will always pull me through because Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever getting me to the right place at the right time.
I am thankful for this “peace that passes understanding.”
Contact Sarah at [email protected]