autismdadinthe603

So there I was sharing a story about an author who took 15 years to get his work published with my 5th grade students. 15 years. That’s nearly the length I’ve attained in years teaching. At that moment, I really didn’t think much more about it. It just came up in conversation about an author and how long it took him to get his book published. It was just conversation.

This was weeks ago as I have not written anything of substance that I’ve cared to pursue. This even includes my children’s book (The Code of Sawyer) that seems to stare back at me as I stare at the cursor that I hope has magic to turn this attempt into greatness for audiences to understand our version of Autism.

This is my internal strife. Why write?

My blog has been dormant. It’s not that I don’t have a laundry list of things to share about Sawyer. Chronicling his success and struggles are a daily habit of mine. Getting to watch him grow is one of the highlights of being a father to him and his four siblings.

Do I think I’m a good writer?

I believe I’m a good story teller. And telling the story of Sawyer is something I feel like regardless of how I put it together is a raw approach that hopefully anyone who reads my work can understand and want to understand.

Does it matter if people read my work?

I used to be disappointed when people I knew didn’t read anything I put together. My initial thought was if I can’t get people that I know to read, how in the world will anyone else read it? Not to mention, do those close to me understand how difficult it is to raise and advocate for Sawyer? Do they see a picture of him and see the smile and believe that’s him and Autism floated away?

So what now?

It all comes back to the author. He believed in his work. He had his doubts. He had his insecurities. However, he learned to not give up his desire to tell his story. I will do the same with a newfound realization is that telling my story of Sawyer will always be something that evolves just like his dad.

In 2020, you will hear about the ballet bopping, page turning, basketball shooting, hand writing, homework stomping 3rd Grade something through my eyes and his actions.

Happy New Year!