"Who cares?"
"I care."
"Why?"
"Because I've been there.
And I know how much it means to be able to have someone to talk to when life gets so unfair."
"You have no idea what I'm going through.
How dare you say you understand."
"You're right. I very well might not understand.
But I'm willing to listen. And when you're finished, if you want, I'll help however I can."

When we're kids,
we see dinosaurs and dragons that make our imagination soar.
When we're teens,
we look at our peers differently than before.
And, as an adult, I find it harder to embrace any changes at all anymore.
I don't like the world I see. So tell me, what should I do?
First, know you're not alone.
Then take my hand, and together, we'll make it through.

The wind whistles as it whips down the winding street
Trying to knock down people
wary of the ice and snow beneath their feet.
The sky watching over them is still.
But it's a trap. A storm is coming in for the ****

Every day, I get out of bed
And wait for work so I can stay out of my head.
For 8 to 9 hours a day, I talk to people I barely know.
but it's a big relief because I'm not the star of the show.
When you live life on the autism spectrum, the mind can be a scary place.
You question every decision you make, and just talking to people can make your heart race.
It can make you feel alone. Frustrated. Sad.
But it's not all bad.
People on the spectrum see the world in a way most could never understand.
It's beautiful. And we want you to experience it. That's why we reach out for your hand.
We want to connect.
But it takes a while to learn how.
If you can be patient, when we're ready, we'll show you the world in a different way. I promise it will make you say "wow."

I'm standing here alone tonight
As I watch these cars pass like my life.
They're moving on but I'm still here
Staring at the bottom of another empty beer
I don't want to give in.
I don't want to give up.
But wanting something just isn't enough.
You say you'll help
So I'm ready to fight.
Maybe now my darkness can be beat by your light.
I want to thank you my friend
For teaching me that it's okay to be me
I want to thank you my friend for not giving up when I had so little hope.
You've done more for me than you'll ever know
So I wrote this so I can finally show how much it means that you're in my life.
I was in a deep dark place with no way out
Then you came running when you heard me shout.
Now I'm ready to live all of the days ahead.
That's why I want to thank you for being my friend.

Putting the pencil to the page is like watching your favorite band live on stage.
Your heart starts pumping. And for a moment, you can forget all of your pressure. All your regret

The whiskey burns my throat even in the cold November air
As I sit out on my porch in my evening wear.
I let my mind drift away,
Not unlike the swirling snow
To the night I received a mysterious letter many years ago.
At first, I was confused.
But my curiosity grew
When they asked to meet on the bridge at midnight for a secret rendezvous.
As I put on my boots, gloves, and cap, all I kept thinking was "please, don't be a trap."
When I arrived, the air was thick.
And with my adrenaline rising, it was getting hard to breathe.
I waited and waited, and then you showed up just as I was getting ready to leave.
I screamed into the wind
"I got your letter! What is it you need?"
Then, what happened next, I could never have believed.
There you were, surrounded by an ethereal glow.
You, my love, who stole my heart when you left before it was your time to go.
To this day, I don't know if what I saw was real, or just a dream.
But it gave me hope.
And more importantly, it gave me peace.

Sometimes, you're gonna make mistakes.
Sometimes, you're gonna say the wrong thing.
But in time, you'll learn that doesn't mean you've done something wrong.
Sometimes, you're gonna crash and burn.
But sometimes, that's the only way we learn.
Now that you've lived and learned, you can move on.
So don't be afraid when you fall.
Go ahead, break down your walls.
You're gonna see beauty you never knew was there before.
Go on, hold your head high.
Jump up, reach for the sky.
And remember
Sometimes, there will be days nothing turns out right.
But someday, everything will be alright.

Life's not gonna wait for you.
So tell me, what are you waiting for?
If you want to chase your dreams,
Pick yourself up off the floor.
The frustration and fear bringing tears to your eyes
Will give you the strength to get what you want.
Just keep your eyes on the prize.
We've all got things we want to do
But let our heads fill with doubt
The trick is to listen to your heart and drown all the other voices out.
What you do with your time is something only you can choose.
But even if you fall, tell me what you have to lose.

If you don't know, I can't tell you who you are.
I can't tell what you'll be
But I can tell you what I see.
When I look in your eyes,
I can see pain you've been trying to disguise.
I see you hoping you can find hope.
And when I look at your face,
I see someone who can never be replaced.
I can see you feel 100 years older
Because you've been carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.
Watching your chest move when you put your hand on your heart, that's proof you're human.
And if you want to find out who you are,
that's a good place to start.
In the end, it doesn't matter what I see.
All that matters is you find a way to love who you are
and look forward to who you'll be.