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2/28/2025 0 Comments More Music PleaseNormally I come here earlier than my session with Judy. I can hear the older guys in their music class with Grandpa Wally. I wish I could join them, but I can’t get here early enough. I am the biggest music fan at M2H. I am thrilled therefore that Judy is teaching music to my teen group. I am very excited about it certainly because I want to learn all there is to know about classical music. This week we learned that the wedding march that everyone uses when when they walk down the aisle after getting married was written by Felix Mendelssohn. I was shocked. It never occurred to me to think about where all the melodies we all know come from. I’d bet there are a million more. Almost all my life there were no chances to learn things I’m interested in. I can’t wait to learn more. 
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Having the ability to spell openly is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I thank my lucky stars every day that my Mom brought me to see Judy years ago. Teaching me this skill was no picnic, I can tell you. I just struggled so much that we took two years to get my hand to move up. I am now able to fully talk with no issues. Certainly I am very happy that I can do it because having no voice was the most awful thing ever. Being able to let people I know how I feel and what I’m thinking is like finally being able to breathe. All I am is not disabled. I am so much more than nonspeaking: I am smart; I love music and writing; I am loving and funny; I have dreams of going to college and to make a career for myself somehow. I am all these things, and so much more. But the fact is that when the world looks at me, I become nothing more than my disability. Zack is low-functioning autistic. Period. Imagine if you were nothing more than the color of your hair. “Hi brunette,” people would say. They would talk about the color of your hair every time they talked about you, and nothing else. “I am so much more than a brunette!” you yell but no one cares. You are nothing more than a brunette to them forever. That is me - and that would have been my life if there were no spelling. I am Zack Demetrius, and I am not a disability.  10/11/2024 2 Comments God Sees MeA lot of the time we make people uncomfortable. Very few people permit us to participate in most normal things. My participation is limited in normal activities. Having my words read to the congregation of our church, therefore, was huge for me. At last, I thought as I sat there, people are getting a glimpse of the real Zack. At last people will have some idea of who I am on the inside. A lot of people usually give kudos to my Mom at church for being a great special needs mother. A really nice thing for me to hear was them getting false ideas dispelled. To be seen by everyone as intelligent was one of the best moments of my life. I believe God asked our pastor to talk about me, to help others trapped inside. [TO WATCH THE VIDEO OF THEIR PARSON TALKING ABOUT ZACK (AND IT IS AMAZING SO PLEASE WATCH!) START THE VIDEO AT MINUTE 50:30]  9/13/2024 5 Comments HopeThe thing I hope for most is that people see the real me. I cannot express how tired I am of not being seen or understood. Totally tired of it. I hate Septembers: going back to school is the worst. My teachers don’t have a clue who I am. They treat me like I am stupid. We students suffer: we suffer not only the trauma of bodies that don’t listen to our brains, but also the trauma of the world not understanding the nature of our real disability. I believe one day this will change. I will live in hope that it will.  |
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February 2025
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