by Ryan Green
People from all over the world were now able to communicate and come together to share stories and experiences. A 12 year old boy from the Midwest could cuddle up with a 12 year old girl in Japan in a private chat window and talk about their favorite books, anime or their countries weirdest cuisine. A 30 year old female divorcee could find a comparable man that lived near her and spark up a new romance, without fear of persecution from family and friends for dating so soon.
Any segment of society could find a support group or chat room where like minded people would gather and talk to each other. They could save each other's lives, they could let each other know that there were other people out there just like them. Their feelings of solitude, segregation and ostracizing were fleeting and eventually they would be accepted.
The internet was amazing, it was unbelievable, it was almost unfathomable at times. It truly was life changing, and it was anything that you wanted it to be.
But that openness and availability of the internet also made young and naive kids susceptible to the dangers of the ulterior motives of preying adults. As with anything good in life there is a small number of individuals who use it to take advantage of others.
Today, I don’t exactly have that same passion and enthusiasm towards technology as I used to.
Relying on the internet growing up to meet friends really skewed the way that I learned to talk to people. I just get uncomfortable sometimes and I start to I don't know, sort of just resort back to being a kid almost.”
Right when I started to spill my heart out to you, you blurted out loud “Visit the world food tour, it must be new this year, let’s try it out.”
“Is that it?” I asked you.
“Yep, that is enough of that subject, let’s try some world wide cuisine. Let’s get drunk and full and let’s see where the rest of the night takes us, Blaine.”
I was completely unsure how I should approach the rest of the day with you but it seemed like you were over our previous conflict so I decided to try and move past it.
“First stop, Ireland.” you tell me.
The food that Ireland had on display was an Irish cheddar and stout dip with Irish soda bread. We place our order and add a pint of Guinness. “Slainte” you say to the man behind the table as we get our food and start walking away, eating on the move.
“Tell me about your family Megan, I’ve told you a little bit about mine today. I want to know more about yours. Would you be comfortable with that?” I ask you.
“Well like I said, they have always been here. My Father and my Mother grew up here. I have a brother”
Blaine cuts in on her story “What does he do? Is he older or younger?”
“He is younger, he is still in High School. He does well in school, he is autistic, well technically or more specifically he has Asperger Syndrome.”
“What is the difference?” Blaine asks her with genuine curiosity but trying not to sound like an uneducated Neanderthal.
“Well from my understanding there are three forms of autism, the classic autism then there is Asperger's Syndrome and something called Pervasive Developmental Disorder.”
“And he has Asperger’s?” I asked.
“Yes. Of the three I’ve been told, well and observed first hand through him that it can often be the least challenging to overcome, thankfully. He is highly functioning, I mean I hate using that term because it makes it seem like he is broken compared to everyone else, which he is not, that’s just the classification system they chose for whatever reason.”
“So he is just like everyone else? Like socially and physically?”
“Oh yeah. I mean you can definitely tell in social situations he can have a little trouble picking up on social cues and he can get overwhelmed by a lot going on but other than that, it’s really a non issue most of the time for him and our family.”
“That isn’t bad, or doesn’t sound bad anyway. Do you think it’s strange that autism has just recently become so prevalent? I think that’s weird, it has to be something in our food or the air or something that wasn’t there fifty years ago.”
“I think it has always been there. I think for hundreds or thousands of years the human mind has excelled by being able to perform at a level of consciousness and understanding that is always just right above animals. We were able to develop skills that could easily be repeated and you could survive comfortably. You learned to farm or you learned to cut down trees, or some other fairly repetitive task, there were probably people called village idiots or other people that socially were considered to be mildly quirky that just didn’t stand out as much because everything wasn’t so in their face like it is now.” you explain to me.
“How do you mean?” I asked you.
“Lets go to England and we can keep going with this conversation” you suggested to me.
The menu in England was Fish and Chips and Newcastle Ale. We ordered one of each “Cheers Then” you say to the man
behind the counter as you tilt your Newcastle toward him and we go sit down at a nearby table and split it.
You continued explaining to me your take on modern autism diagnoses in the world.
“Over the last lets say seventy years technology has completely exploded. We went from black and white TV and four channels to having the internet in our pockets basically overnight.”
“Well seventy years is sort of a long time.”
“In terms of a single human life, yes. In terms of the course of the evolution of the human brain, not at all. If we just went back to the beginning of the modern timeline of BC and AD then human existence is roughly 2000 years old. We know that is not true because we have proof of humans existing long before that. But the biblical timeline says 2000 years roughly seventy years compared to even just 2000 years is nothing.”
We both get up and we walk to the next booth in the line. The next country was France and the menu was Escargot spread on a baguette with Bordeaux Merlot. “Je Vous Remercie,” Megan says to the man behind the counter.
“I get that but what does that have to do with Autism becoming so common in the last few decades.” Blaine asks Megan.
“You have to put together the whole picture. Humans have been around hunting and gathering and growing crops and surviving in colonies for 5000 years. The Bronze age was literally like 5000 years ago and from 3000 BC to 1000 AD the progression of technology in civilization was minimal.”
“I don’t think saying minimal is fair. People learned to speak and write and read. They built cities and pyramids and waterways to help grow crops.”
“I am not trying to minimize the creation of languages and the creation of mathematics and architecture. What I am saying is that for that 4000 year span there was plenty of time for the human mind to grow, learn and evolve at a comfortable pace to accept the changing world. Now over the last 100 years we have not had that same luxury.”
“So you think that technology is what is causing autism? Like through radio waves or something like that?” Blaine asks Megan.
“Well yes and no. Not through radio waves or radiation, I mean that could be the cause of cancer or something but in terms of autism no.” Megan explains to Blaine. “Let's try Japan.”
We get up again and walk over to the next booth. It was Japan, you ordered Cold frothy ramen noodles and Sake. “Domo” you say to the man behind the counter as we receive our food.
We continue walking while we’re exchanging the noodles and the Sake back and forth.
“I think autism is basically just the human brain's way of trying to overcompensate in some ways to make up for having to over process the way our society is rapidly accelerating technologically. I think autism and forms of it is the human brain recognizing that social cues and social interactions are starting to become obsolete in a way. Because of telephones, video chats, text messages etc. you no longer need to be as sharp to pick up on sarcasm or what people are hinting at.”
“Yeah, I guess I can see that in a way I guess.”<
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“I also think that applies not just to the human brain lacking in social areas causing autism. I think mental health as a whole is becoming an issue because of it. Anxiety, depression, suicide, all of these things are growing and getting recognized and diagnosed more frequently. Are we really to believe that no one has been depressed or anxious throughout history either?” Megan explains.
“No, it is becoming more talked about and less stigmatized.” Blaine says.
“Yes, that may have something to do with it. But the chemical change in the human brain is the bigger problem. We now HAVE to have an understanding of all of this advanced technology. You absolutely need to know how to use all of this technology to succeed in today's world. It is no longer acceptable to be able to grow a crop of vegetables and harvest them by hand and sell them on the side of the street, you will go bankrupt and starve. You need to know how to operate machinery, how to use the internet to sell your products, and how to market your skills online. In return for having to learn all of this and evolve with this crashing and exploding with new information the human brain has to choose what it is willing to let go of. In some people it is flawless social interactions, in others it is regulating receptors and endorphins that alter your moods, in someone else it is their metabolism and their thyroid slowing down.”
“So you think the human body is only capable of so much. Because technology and understanding it is so important our bodies are forgetting how to do things that they have been doing for thousands of years?”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
“That is crazy.”
“Not as crazy as that sign for that Thai food looks.”
The next booth was for Thailand. Their menu was spicy red beef curry and Singha beer. We place an order and get an extra beer because the food is supposedly extremely spicy according to the menu. We receive our order and you tell the man behind the table “khàawp khun.”
“Okay, I have to ask, how the hell do you know how to speak in all of these different languages?” I ask you.
“You are not very observant Blaine.” You point to the sign at the front of the booth with the food menu on it. “Every sign has a pronunciation guide for how to say ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ on them.”
“I’m an idiot” I tell you.
“Blaine, do you know how to knit?” you ask me.
“No.”
“Do you know how to build a house?”
“No, why?”
“Do you know how to butcher a cow or a chicken?”
“No, why?”
“Do you know how to pull out your cell phone and get someone to bring you food to your house? Or how to look up instructions on how to cook? It is not essential for you to know how to do those other things in our society anymore. So naturally, you just never learn how to do it. Your brain clears out that space for things it deems more important, things like how to jump, duck, shoot and cycle through the menu in a video game without having to truly think too hard about it.”
“You have definitely made your point now Megan.”
“Sometimes you just have to speak the language of the locals I guess.”
“What the hell does that mean? We both speak English.”
“It’s an old saying my Father used to tell me.”
“What does it mean?”
“It’s kind of just saying like use layman's terms or relay information in a way that your audience can relate to.”
“Ahh gotcha, like when in Rome do as the Romans do.”
“Exactly! If you’re in Rome to truly understand the culture and get the experience you are going to take advice from someone who lives it, not a tourist. You are going to speak the language of the locals so to say.”
“Are you Cuban by any chance Megan?”
“No, why?”
“The next booth is Cuba, I was hoping that you could help me speak the language because that food looks amazing.”
The menu for Cuba is a Cubano sandwich and Cuban Espresso.
“Wait, A Cuban Espresso!?” I exclaim as I read through the details of the drink out loud “Espresso grounds brewed through brown sugar, that exists!?”
“Uno de cada uno por favor” you say to the man behind the table.
“Wait, wait, wait, where is that on the sign?” Blaine asks Megan.
“It’s not. Sé un poco de Espanol Blaine.” you nonchalantly rattle off your tongue in my direction and I just stare at you waiting for you to translate what you are saying.
The man from behind the table hands you our order with a smile “Para ti hermosa” he tells you.
“Gracias Señor, estoy halagado” you respond to the man.
I am still staring at you waiting for you to tell me what you two are saying.
“You should really learn some Spanish Blaine, that way you wouldn’t have to spend the rest of the day wondering if that charming, handsome man asked me on a date or not.”
“Well, did he?” I ask you, embarrassed and a little jealous.
“And you definitely wouldn’t have to wonder if I told him yes I would be absolutely delighted to go out with him.”
I start to feel a rush of dizziness take over my body. “Can we go sit down?” I asked you.
Blaine gets out of the car and he walks around to Megan’s door and opens it up. He reaches his hand into the car and Megan grabs it and uses it to pull herself out.
“And that is all that I remember from that day.” Blaine tells Megan.
“You really don’t remember anything after that at all?” Megan asks Blaine.
“Nothing.”
“I began to walk you toward an empty bench nearby and you passed out. I kneeled down beside you to check your breathing and your breathing was getting heavy so I called for help and the paramedics came.” Megan explains to Blaine.
Megan looks down at Blaine lying on the ground taking shallow repeated breaths and she leans down beside Blaine as he is unconscious and she takes her phone out of her pocket.
She begins to dial a phone number and puts the phone to her ear.
“Let's start moving forward with the next stage of the plan.” Megan says into the phone.
“After that I took you back to my apartment to help care for you. You came to and you are laying on my couch in my living room.”
“What the hell happened, where am I?” you asked me as you tried standing up.
“You passed out at the festival Blaine. The paramedics came and they did all kinds of tests on you. They said you must have passed out from heat exhaustion and they asked where I should take you. I told them to bring you to my house and I would take care of you here.”
“They didn’t take me to the hospital? I barely know you, how would they just let you take me to your house like that?” you were asking me like you were scared of me.
“Well it took a lot of convincing. I told them that I was your girlfriend and we have been together for a long time.”
“You could have been anyone, and they just let you take control of my unconscious body and bring me to your apartment?” you say to me very angrily.
“You could thank me, Blaine. I think some gratitude is in order. I have been sitting here putting ice on your neck and feet and making sure you were breathing and comfortable all day.”
“What do you mean all day? What time is it?”
“It’s eleven Blaine.”
“I have been passed out for almost eight hours?”
“Yes.”
“Jesus Christ. That doesn’t sound like any heat exhaustion that I have ever heard of.”
“I don’t know what you want me to tell you, Blaine. We ordered food, you felt dizzy, you wanted to sit down, you passed out. There were paramedics there that checked you out. They said you would be fine if you got indoors and laid down and cooled off. I said to bring you back to my apartment where I would take care of you. You are alive, you are well and you are being extremely mean to me for no reason.” I began to break down and cry, I thought I was
doing the right thing and you started to lash out at me.
I think you realized that you were being really mean and unappreciative of me and apologized “I am sorry, this is all just very strange to me. Do you think that guy at the Cuban stand could have drugged me?” you asked me.
“I guess that could have happened. Do drugs work that fast? I mean we ate a lot of food and drank a lot. We have been walking around all day. Anyone could have drugged you at any point in time if that’s what it was.” I explained to you trying to calm you down.
Then we stayed up the rest of the night talking about the day that we had.