Embracing Autism Gleefully
Copyright© 2017 by ahorsewithnoname
Chapter 2
Her project was approved, and as part of it, Barb petitioned the state Board of Education to allow special standards for those who couldn’t take regular tests but could demonstrate aptitude in other ways. Her enthusiasm was met with skepticism, but they left the door open for updates and possible revisiting in the future.
Weeks passed, months rolled by, and soon years elapsed too. Medical testing showed some interesting results in chemical differences between Glee’s mind and what was considered the norm, but nothing conclusive.
Barb and his mom would take Glee on field trips to museums, and holidays permitting, traveled to nearby places of interest. Barb’s research caused her to spend countless hours with Glee, recording details and cataloging his progress.
Barb pushed Glee to excel. She would videotape all of his tests, as they were all oral. Friday, test day, was his favorite. Glee was now a senior in high school, eighteen years of age.
“Glee,” began Barb, “let’s start with a religion question,” as she adjusted the video feed to make sure it had the teenager centered. “Tell me what you think of when you imagine heaven.”
Glee smiled and responded quickly, “Heaven is not a place, and it is not a time. Heaven is being perfect. And that isn’t flying a thousand miles an hour, or a million, or flying at the speed of light. Because any number is a limit, and perfection doesn’t have limits. Perfect speed, my son, is being there.” 2
Barb smiled at the reference to Jonathan Livingston Seagull and nodded slightly, then prodded further. “Tell me more. How does death relate to heaven?”
Glee cocked his head a bit, as if processing information, then straightened out and looked dead-on at Barb, ignoring the camera.
“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.” 3
“Good,” she said and then moved to another subject. “What are your feelings on the historical account of the Gay Liberation Front?”
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