Observant

Rooney’s life hadn’t been the easiest. Her mothers death twenty years prior left her unsure of how to navigate the world. She’d been diagnosed with Autism during her early years in school. Her mother had gone about life a little differently after that. It’d been doing so that helped Rooney. Until Maggie died of a Brain Stem Stroke out of the blue. Rooney hadn’t been able to cope for a while. She’d thrown herself into writing Poetry. People helped her through her grief as best as they could. The reality being they didn’t really understand what she was going through. Nobody she knew understood what it was like to lose someone to a Brain Stem Stroke.

Her Poetry spoke for her. People understood how to help because of her Poetry. She was better understood as a result. People knew how to help her a little more. She’d always seen life differently prior to Maggie’s death. She saw life far differently after losing Maggie though. She’d felt alone even though people around her were helping her. Maggie had made a point to send Rooney signs that she was still around. That she’d always be nearby. It helped Rooney grieve being able to go on with her life. 

Nothing changed the fact she still found it difficult to be around people. She didn’t understand how to be around people. She’d misunderstand what people would say or do most of the time. She’d become scared of speaking after people got mad at her for something she’d said or done. Even though people explained why they were mad at her. It’d helped her know what not to do or say for the next time. She was still scared to speak or do anything when she was around friends. Or around anyone in general. 

She’d become far more observant after a while. She remembered things Maggie had told her. Things that worked when she was around people. She’d noticed patterns as time went on. She’d noticed how she could be more social. She was still hesitant though. Various people had done her wrong over the last year. People that proved they were never her friends anyway. Rooney had been truthful about why she was no longer friends with them. Why trust issues became so severe. People whose actions spoke for them when they tried defending themselves. Their White Knight routine had become obvious. They’d been shunned as a result. 

She’d become a Public Speaker. Along with publishing most of her Poetry. She used what she’d learned through the many conversations she had with friends. Along with conversations she had with strangers. She’d seen just how ignorant people were when they were faced with meeting someone who is Autistic. She’d found ways to show others that people with Autism can have a normal life. It just looks a little different. She’d often be adjusting her speech. She wanted nothing more than to destigmatize the stereotypes she knew about how her as well as other Autistic people were treated by most of Society. She spoke from her experiences. From things she’d observed. She’d found ways to better her speech as time went on. Ways that stemmed from feedback she’d received. Her life had become fairly normal as time went on. A life she was happy living.