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“How Rewarding, Death Must Be,” Said My Autistic Son
His unique mind offers me some different perspectives on death
Like most parents, I have a special, unique connection with each of my three kids. My oldest son can be as stubborn and argumentive as I am (though to his credit, he doesn’t have my quick temper), my younger son always thinks about certain “useless” questions deeply as I do, and my daughter inherits my nose shape and the preoccupied attachment style (loosely translate, clingy). Though that shape of the nose looks much better on her face.
Today I’d like to talk about this younger son, Brian*; more specifically, his pondering of the useless questions.
He is diagnosed with Asperger’s, a part of autism spectrum disorder that impacts his ability to socialize and communicate. He’s a senior in college now. Since he was a kid, he’s hated school with an unusual intensity. I hated school too, but that was because of the physical/verbal abuse from the teachers. He hates school simply because he believes it’s a huge waste of time and money. Education is everything, but I guess he has a point.
Up to the age of six he was in general a timid but happy kid. Then his awkwardness and the lack of social skills, in addition to school and other challenges in life, gradually turned him into an…
