Member-only story
AUTISTIC PERSPECTIVE
The Void is Screaming Back ***
Whether you call us canaries, or just call us autistic, we’re done
I broke down crying in Safeway today. Not almost. That has happened many times, countless times.
No, tears leaking from the corners of my eyes, fighting to hold in the broken sobs threatening to break out.
I can’t say what one thing caused it.
I know a few moments before, I had been down the laundry aisle. We needed laundry detergent.
Half of the shelves had been replaced by a shiny new case with clear acrylic doors and shiny chrome chains and padlocks.
I know the store will argue those are “high theft” items. I might argue the real thieves are the ones who head the corporation that made those decisions, but I’ll get distracted from my purpose here if I get into that.
Culture, society, employment, it all demands we be clean. It demands our clothes be neat and laundered. You can’t appear dirty. Even for jobs where you get dirty doing the job, construction, janitorial, nasty dirty jobs that society depends on, it is expected that at least when you apply for the job you will appear neat, clean, trim, oh… I know… professional.
