September 16, 2015

The Christianville Spirit: Words, Words, Words



The Christianville Spirit
The Spirit that Sparkles
September 16, 2015-TCS # 466

Buena-sera, My Readers! As I like to try different greetings, Buena-sera is Italian for “Good Day”. So, What are we going to Talk about This Week? Well, We are going talk about a Trait in PTLSers that gets often Overlooked. You See, Us PTLSers when it comes to learning, We are Very Literal in Every Sense of The Word. Now, It is Funny that I always say that I am Literal, My Mom tells PTLS Family Members that I am Literal, and I know that I learn a certain way (as does Everyone Else) and I know how I handle things. So, In Short, I believe that I am just Me, Yes I am aware that I have Special Needs, let alone having Potocki-Lupski Syndrome and Yet, I don’t see the big deal of Having PTLS or even Being “Literal” because It has been the Way I have lived My Whole Life. So, In some odd way, It is Normal (or better word, “Typical”) to Me. So, It begs The Question, What is “Being Literal?” and Yes, I had  to ask Myself that too so Don’t Worry! “Being Literal” means that You see Everything for What it is, Everything is, As Is. As It appears or Exactly What The Word is means means Words are Pictures to Me. Being Literal, is to say the least, Challenging sometimes because of Things like Figures of Speech, Odd Phrases and/or Words, and Jokes. Now, Don’t Get Me Wrong, I do get Jokes sometimes, but Sometimes Someone can say something that sounds Serious but, really is just a Joke. So, Figures of Speech, We can call them “Speech Spices” or “Speech Enhancements” because in a way They are. In High School, In order to help catch me up with The Way Most Typical People talk, I had to take a “Figurative Language” class. I had to learn Phrases like “Don’t Let The Cat Out of The Bag” (Keeping a Secret), “It is Raining Cats and Dogs Out There!”(Very Heavy Rain), “Sweep Someone off of Their Feet” (Literally, It means You are taking a Broom and Sweeping their Body away from Their Feet. Figuratively, It means Falling In Love or Liking Someone a Lot), “You are What You Eat” (If You eat Bad Foods, then You feel Bad and Vice Versa), “It is Hotter than Hades Out Here!”(It is Very Hot Outside), and “Pick Yourself up by Your Boot Straps” (Learn from Your Mistakes). Now, In My Mind, that meant, that There is a Cat in a Bag and Why is it in There, and Why can’t we let it out?; It is Literally raining Cats and Dogs (as in, Real Cats and Dogs are falling from The Sky)?; When You say Said thing, You sweep them off there feet?; So, If You eat a Hot Dog than You are a Hot Dog? Add to That, Idioms, Clichés, Metaphors, Similes, and Hyperboles, And You have yourself a Very Confused and Frustrated Me!
Schnikies! I have to say I am having a Bit of a Hard Time Writing This Newsletter, Trying to Remember those Figures of Speech from School and Let Alone trying to Remember what They mean, as well as Explaining it The Best I can to You. But, The Sad Thing is that All These Sayings do not make any sense to Me. It frustrated me and I got a Little Sad because I want You to understand how My Mind works, But It is hard to Explain something that I know that I struggle with, It does not make sense to Me, but People around me use these “Figures of Speech” and Jokes, I always have to ask, “Was that a Joke or Figure of Speech?”. All in all, When You are talking to Your Kids, What You say, They take Word for Word or They are not going understand you, or Just Ignore You.



Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say.

September 9, 2015

The Christianville Spirit: My Idea of a Great Father Figure


The Christianville Spirit
The Spirit that Sparkles
September 9, 2015-TCS # 465

Howdy, My Readers! That is how We say hello in The Great State of Texas! Happy Patriots Day, A Better Way of saying “September 11th”. Anyway, on to This Week’s Newsletter! So, I am sure that I have told you many times about My Family and My Wish for a Great Father Figure. But, I am realizing that in a “Law of Attraction” sort of way, Write about Just what Type of Father Figure that I want and not just me, but PTLSers need as Well. I am not that heavy into “The Law of Attraction” but, I believe that My “Soulmate Invitation” Newsletter I did a few years back is starting to Work. So, Why Not, give this a Shot! So, What kind of Father Figure do I wish for? Well, I have God, He is The Greatest Father Figure out there. I know that He loves me, Never judges, and Definitely Understands Me. It helps to gain Ideas from The PTLS Family Members that have Great Dads, like Uncle Chris Pulley, Randy (Husband of “My Kristin”), My Uncle Scott Lerew, Just to name a Few, and Maybe someone to Goof Off with like My Uncle Craig. Shout Out! So, The First Thing that always pops in My Head is Understanding. Understanding of What, You may say? Of Myself, The Way that I operate in terms of Routine and Predictability, and Of Course the Understanding of Me having PTLS. Now, that is easier said than Done, sometimes. The Next, Involvement, Being Involved in My Life in many ways. Come with Me to meet with PTLS Family Members, Hang Out, As mentioned Earlier, Goof Off but in a Responsible Way that is Fun but Not Dangerous or Careless at The Same Time. After That, is probably The Most Important is Love. Love is probably the Most Important Part of The Equation. Heck, It IS The Most Important. None of The Things above matter without Love. With that Said, Love Me! Make Sure that I am Okay in My Wellbeing and Health, even though I am a Typically Happy Guy! Have a Concern for Me. Now, The Tricky Part of This segment of The Equation is that We speak Different Love Languages, in other words, Ways to Show us that We are loved. For Some, It is Gifts; for My Mom, It is Acts of Service (like Chores, Helping around The House etc), and For Me, It is Quality of Time, Someone to Hang Out with, Laugh about Funny or Odd Topics, Talking, Heart-to-Hearts, Talk about Girls (Well, I am old enough now; Women), Hopes & Dreams (Yes, You can tell The Love of Your Life about it, but Also Your Parents), What is going on in Your Life and Truly take an Interest in it and How I see it, Set Examples for Standards in Life and The Future, A Few Deep Talks in There too, knowing Securely that They will always be around & Will Always Love You, They know that Family (And, God) should always come First, Have a Relationship with God and Have Him in everything that You Do (I can only picture us, jumping in a Car like “The Dukes of Hazard”, saying “Alright, God, Let’s go for a Ride! Waahooo!”), Talking about The News and Politics (as Well as Where we stand in Said Issue), Do Fun Things and Yes, Go Travel and Explore Places. Let Me make This Clear, Many Dads say that They already do this but, They see that They are doing it through their eyes and They see The World, but Not through My Eyes and How I see The World. If You can sit through My Stimming, Anxieties, OCD, and Need for Calm Environments and Say You really really Legit Understand, that is The Dad for Me. All in all, I want to be is accepted for Who I am and Love Me and My PTLS, and My PTLS Family.



Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Everyone needs a Great Father Figure and It takes a Special Man to do it!   

September 2, 2015

The Christianville Spirit: Helicopter Parents



The Christianville Spirit
The Spirit that Sparkles
September 2, 2015-TCS # 464

Happy September, My Readers! The Season of Autumn is on it’s way, So get ready Leaf Lovers, it is Coming! On a Personal Note, It has been a Month since My Brother moved to CO, Hard to Believe and I miss him dearly! So, on to This Week’s Newsletter. So, Having PTLS means that I get a lot of Interesting Questions asked of Me about “What it is it like with PTLS?” and I welcome all these questions, so Please do ask away! I do get requests though with My Newsletter, to answer Questions from PTLS Family Members that are Curious about things. So, with that said, This is a Requested Newsletter. So, I have seen lots of Different Parenting and Grandparenting Styles from The “Let Boys be Boys” to “I am hovering over Said Person like a Helicopter!” Now, In My Family, I did not experience My Parents or Grandparents being “Helicopter” Overprotective. My Dad never did it; I see it with My Mom when it comes to My Brother sometimes which I guess that means Me too!; Grandma on My Dad’s Side, Nope; and, Grandma Honey, She helps in the Lesson of Being Connected. Make Sure that You know the People Where You live, Believe me, it will come in Handy. However, My Mom and Grandma Honey will Helicopter over me if I chose The Wrong Girl to be with! But, that’s besides the Point. Now, Yes, My Mom did make sure that She was there helping if I needed help with Opening a Can or a Drink (I had weak muscle tone when I was younger) or She would help with Tying My Shoes so we can get quickly out the door. If There was Something that I was not happy with Doing for the First Time, She would push as good as She could. A lot of Times, I just had to learn how to do it. Potty Training, My Mom said that The Baby down the Street needed My Diapers and I could not have Any Accident in My Pants. I went off to The Bathroom by myself, Mission Accomplished! The Shoe Tying, that was a bit tough! I had My Mom help me do it because In My Head, It was quicker than doing it myself and We were out the Door quicker. So, One Day, when We were headed out the Door and We really needed to get going, Mr. Jeff (The Guy My Mom was Dating at The Time), Told me that I had to Tie My Shoes and do it on My Own. “Mom help me” I said to My Mom. Mr. Jeff sent her outside and Told me that I had to do it Myself. I, Of Course, was Anxious because We needed to get to Said Place and I really did not want to slow everyone down and make them wait for Me. He luckily assured me that They can wait and to Take My Time. I sweated and fretted, I did it slowly but, I got them done, Mission Accomplished! I did not for The Life of Me, want to go on This Slide near My Elementary School, I would turn around once I got to The Top. My Mom had me go down it and I was obsessed with The Slide from that point on. Now, There are One Time in 5th Grade when Some Kids threw spitballs at Me and My Mom came in for Lunch one day and saw me upset; She literally flew across The Tables to get those kids to Stop. Call In The Helicopter, I guess You could say. Now, Would I want a Helicopter Parent and  Grandparent, probably not only because IT would get on My Nerves with Them hovering over me, reporting to The Radio Station, “Okay, Christian is On The Playground! Repeat, Christian is On The Playground!”, “Oh! There’s a Cute Girl at 2’O Clock, will Christian talk to Her or just see how Pretty She is?!, Nope, Okay moving on! Over”. I think You get the Idea here. Now, Okay, Don’t get me Wrong, It is Okay to have Overprotective Parents because They will Stop You if You are headed down the Wrong Road and They will Swoop in and Catch the Person (or Thing) that is Troubling You. I see that There is limit in terms of How Overprotective they are, You can’t be around Your Kids (or Grandkids!) all the time, They have to have Space to Grow! I am realizing that I often do sound like My Mother sometimes! Come to think of it though, If Your Child does not have a lot of Space then They won’t grow. Maybe THAT is Why My Brother went up to Colorado, To Grow a little! But, on The Other Hand, He will eventually come back to The Family because He will miss us too much! All in all, Parents and Grandparents, Thank for Loving us so much and Worrying about Our Wellbeing, Especially because We are Unique Individuals, but We are Determined to do what We want to do and Reach Our Dreams and Be The Best We Can. But, You have to believe in us and We can do a lot for Ourselves.




Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Believe in Us, Because We do!