Life With….

How do you think?  I mean that literally – I recently asked a friend who is bilingual about translation and she did not believe she thought in language or words (at least she was not aware of thinking in English or French) others may think in pictures, plans, or even clear light-blub ideas.

I believe that I do some of all of the above – but often I think in stories, almost visions.  I relate everything to stories, sometimes to my detriment making things ore black and white and more personal to me, and sometimes to my benefit, making it easier to relate to others outside myself, easier to explain, and/or to see in nuances of gray.  As logical as I am, and I am very logical, when explaining a logical sequence of events in my mind I turn it into a logical storyboard.  At other times, especially when dreaming, my mind allows me to literally read my thoughts and explore the logic of the story.  I have woken up mid-dream both seeing and reading and action and reading the plot at the same time.  It may be unique but it is a fact.

I know this is how I think – and I firmly believe we all think differently.  Last night, I saw an amazing movie from HBO films, Temple Grandin, staring Claire Danes dealing with how we think, and how when we think in too different away it can impact our ability to relate.

Temple Grandin is an autistic American woman, in her sixties, who through the aid of a mother, aunt, teacher, and many others who did not give up was able to attend college, design humane cattle feed lots and slaughter houses, and become self-sufficient despite her autism and the fact that she came of age in an era when the only prescribed treatment was institutionalism.  She has become an outspoken autism advocate and been granted awards by PETA for her deigns in the treatment of cattle.

Here are two major caveats I am not trying to speak to Temple Grandin’s role in autism studies or the films’ portrayal of autism.  I believe everyone’s experience is to an extent unique and as such no film can truly capture the meaning or complexity of any human, let alone an autistic human’s experience.

That being clear – watch this movie.  First of all Claire Danes is masterful, I have often found her to be a good actress, but here she inhabits another person from speech to mannerism, and gives her a spark of intelligence and dignity that move her character into a realm of complexity.  Secondly, the supporting cast, particularly Julia Ormond, but also David Strathairn and Catherine O’Hara are outstanding and help to keep the story from diving into trite movie of the week territory which it could easily have done. Julia Ormond should be nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal which was poignant without moving into the simple realm of a mother fighting for her child and always accepting her fault, this mother struggles with them and tries at time to both give her child all but sometimes fails and just wants her to overcome and be normal.  Both her and Claire Danes give moving scenes, often without regard to the script.

But what was most fascinating about the movie, and I do not mean this as a slight to the acting which was phenomenal, was the attempt to portray the “different but not less” way that Temple’s mind works.  Temple thinks in images – therefore from the right perspective she can observe as a cow does, or she literally interprets key phrases – all of which the directors attempts to show you without demeaning her experience or yours.

The interjection of Temple’s thoughts helps to explain or show her social difficulties, and makes the character relatable and empathic in ways that she may not appear when meeting her in person.  It gives her a story – and makes the personality of one whose mind functions in a way that most of us cannot fathom approachable.   I, for one, find that most of us assume that others think as we do, and cannot relate to how others may perceive or explore the world.  I know that if we all thought in pictures, words, stories, language or thought bubbles we would be poorer in scientific and cultural output – and this film allows us to appreciate how those who think beyond the bounds of normality, whose thoughts are so unique that they cannot interact properly socially work to enrich our world in other, “different, but not less” ways.

This movie made me appreciative of the skill of great storytellers and actors, and wondrous at how the human experience, as unique as it is to each individual, can be wrought in manifestations that are unique and may seem trivial can work for the benefit of us all.  That being said, no matter how we think or live, want to know “where do they go” when life is over and people no longer inhibit their bodies.  Showing that we all share much even if we can’t always see it on the surface.

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Create Your Badge  All text and copyrights preserved by the author for words and original pictures and may not be used without author's permission. For more information visit http://www.peebesalgy.com Follow me on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/peebesalgy or contact me directly through http://www.peebesalgy.com/blog/contact-me/ Courtney Brown | Create Your Badge