Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Connor and 'Imaginary-Real'

One of the greatest privileges I know is being able to spend time with a very special 10-year-old boy, my friend Connor. You see, Connor is an extraordinary and unique growing young man who sees the world and the wonderment that exists in it, the way that I hope to, and unfortunately, in a manner in which as adults, we find easy to forget - how magical this planet really is. Funny that a 10-year-old boy equipped with a sensational imagination and a heart so pure and true is a beacon of humanity’s potential at its best. I am reminded often that mankind’s pursuit to enrich our condition is fostered in the ‘imaginary-real’ that exists in all of us. The challenge we all too often have is when we fail to recognize and embrace the ‘imaginary-real’ magic that exists within each of our hearts. 


And so to you Connor, I would like to thank you for being the incredibly cool, young man you are growing up to be; you are what is right about the world to me! Never forget the gentleness and kindness of your heart and spirit, that of which is the most powerful and important part of who you are.


Connor, you will go on to do great things, as long as you embrace your kind and gentle ways. There may be times that it does not appear to be easy – each person faces their own challenges – but overcoming them makes us that much better of a person, and so, you too, will face challenges in your life that you will have to learn to overcome. In fact, when we overcome challenges (like doing math) life becomes more fun! 

In reality, the biggest blessing about my friendship with Connor is that his world opens mine up to a more colorful world. I have a deep appreciation for the way in which he sees things. Like everyone on the face of the earth, we are people, with a mix of strengths and weaknesses… here are just some of the positive personality traits I recognize in Connor and ones in which I hope we’ll all try to emulate:


Connor Is Reliable
Connor doesn’t have hidden agendas. He will tell it like it is. What you see is what you get, and what you hear is what he means. He is wired to be more comfortable by himself. Because of not feeling the need for social contact as strongly as other individuals, he is able to select honest, genuine, and dependable persons like himself, who share his interests, to be his friend. That is pretty cool. 


Connor Has Unique Perspectives
Although Connor may struggle with seeing the big picture, he is gifted with the ability to focus intently on details of things and situations. Because of this, he is often able to come up with innovative solutions to problems. Since Connor has the ability to focus long and hard on his areas of interest (Legos, Pokemon, animals), I have confidence that one day as an adult he will make great academic and scientific strides for the greater good of society.

Connor Holds No Prejudice
Perhaps because Connor knows what it is like to be unique, he tends to be more accepting of others. He is more focused on people’s behavior, versus on hierarchies or social position. He can teach the rest of the world a lot about accepting people for who they are, rather than pre-judging others. We should all learn from this. 


Connor Has High Integrity
Connor is conscientious and diligent and dedicated to whatever it is he is working on. He may need initial instruction, support, and coaching, but once he is situated, he is enormously productive and loyal to completing the task or project. I see this firsthand when I have the opportunity of being his ‘Lego Builder Helper’ when we work on constructing a new Lego set together. I am usually awe-inspired by his commitment to finishing the ‘project’ successfully and completely. Yet again… super cool!


Connor Is Extremely Intelligent and has Strong Perseverance
Connor has a very active and curious mind. When it comes to his particular interests, it’s not hard to see how tenacious he is in pursuing them. This is a very strong combination that he benefits from now but always will throughout all stages of his life.

Connor is Honest and True to His Word
To Connor truth is truth – his word is the real deal. Like it or not. ☺


Connor Lives in the Moment
How often do typical people fail to notice what's in front of their eyes because they're distracted by everything around them? Connor truly uses all his senses to be ‘in the moment’ with astute mindfulness.

Connor is Passionate
Connor is truly passionate about the things, ideas and people in his life. And that is contagious! 

Connor Has Terrific Memory
How often do typical people forget directions, or fail to take note of colors, names, and other details? Connor is so much more tuned in to details. He has an amazing memory!



Oh and I forgot to mention one technical fact about Connor … he, like many other amazing individuals I have come to know over the past few years happens to be on the spectrum. As you can see, being on the spectrum happens to have amazing benefits – benefits that we all aspire to have. And as for my very good friend Connnor, what defines him most is the ability to make ‘Imaginary Real’ a reality.

And that, like my friend Connor, is awesome! 




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