#theabsenceofnormal

[theabsenceofnormal]

Explanation for absence

Earlier this year I lost one of my best friends who featured expansively in this project. He was just 25. 7 months on, my heart still swells with grief at the loss. I am determined to still continue this project, but it will take some time for me as this was so intricately linked to him in my mind. A few weeks ago I took some photos for the first time since he died. I am hopeful (I have to be) that this is not all that will be.

I apologise if you have sent enquiries and I have not answered; this is the reason why. It has just been too hard and I am trying to practice self-care.

I firmly believe that I have more stories to tell - on average, an Autistic person dies 18 years younger than their non-autistic peers. If you are interested in being part of this project, please STILL SEND IN MESSAGES and I will respond when I return to continue this series. 

Take care of yourselves.

Shauna.

[theabsenceofnormal]

Kelly pt. 2

Name: Kelly Nicholas Age: 32 Interests: Reading, Video games, Costuming, Performance Arts (Acrobatics and Dance) 3 words to describe yourself: Honest, Earnest, Loyal   Kelly is non-binary/genderqueer.

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Name: Kelly Nicholas Age: 32 Interests: Reading, Video games, Costuming, Performance Arts (Acrobatics and Dance) 3 words to describe yourself: Honest, Earnest, Loyal    Kelly is non-binary/genderqueer. 

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Here’s an old self-portrait. I’m going to use it as a self-submission.

Name: Shauna Age: 26 Interests: Rocks (lapidary), Making / Building / Fixing, Organizing things, Eating all the food 3 words to describe yourself: Contradictory, Flicker, Odd

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Karl pt. 2

Karl is one of the most colourful people I know. A few summers back he crowdsourced his car’s paint job by handing out spray paint cans and paint markers to friends (and strangers) to decorate. He will speak to just about anyone in the hope of making friends.

In the second last image, he is proudly showing a local sugarcane drink seller his rainbow car after she complimented his shirt.

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These photos of my grandfather are taken more than a year apart. 

Grandfather has one ‘good’ outfit that he wears to dinners, haircuts, general outings, and ancestral veneration. My grandmother purchased a duplicate of the shirt he is wearing (so it can be cleaned) as it was all he would wear. 

He is extremely superstitious and consults the almanac for the best days to pay respects to our ancestors. He believes that they have blessed our family with good fortune and often conducts rituals of burning spirit money and offerings on food once to twice a month.

[theabsenceofnormal]

A recent photo of my grandfather, who is definitely on the spectrum. I like to think of him as the river from which my autism flows.

He doesn’t speak very much, has a collection of alarm clocks (just in case one breaks), and is generally described as being ‘in his own world’.