06 Dec Diversity and Ecology
I was especially moved by the writers collected in Johnson’s book Borderlands (2018). I had no previous experience of the first-hand voice of an autistic person, especially not such an articulate one as Nick Walker. I could clearly see how socially indoctrinated I had become without questioning my conditioning about people with this uniqueness. It was fascinating to read of Zelaya’s (2018) Cuban and Aztec influences. Johnson’s quote was compelling: “in the case of creativity and imagination, difference is an essential component.” All the viewpoints, Black, queer, and disabled as well, were valuable to read and ponder.
The personal essays on nature mysticism (Abram, 2010; DeMares & Krycka, 1999; Perluss, 2008) were quite moving. I had not previously considered nature part of the transpersonal before. I knew about John Lilly’s experiments with dolphins, and certainly anybody with any sensitivity at all has been awed by natural beauty, but these authors raised their readers’ consciousness by sharing their personal experiences.
For my reflective piece I went into more depth about my experience of Nick Walker (2018) and his bold sharing in his writing and interview with Don Hanlon Johnson. The phrase “a great blooming, buzzing confusion” was so evocative, so poetic; it really stays with the reader — such a visceral sense of what Walker is sharing. I also wrote about internal prejudices I have taken on from my cultural conditioning toward people I don’t understand, such as people with autism and someone who describes themselves as transgender but is not interested in surgery. Not sure what that means, but I’m willing to learn. Especially from someone as articulate as Dr. Walker.
© 2023 Catherine Auman
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