Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Tammet Daniel

Author:Tammet, Daniel [Tammet, Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: MOBI, mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: Non-Fiction, Psychology, Adult, Biography, Science
ISBN: 9781416535072
Publisher: Free Press
Published: 2006-01-01T07:00:00+00:00

7

Ticket to Kaunas

My parents always expected that I would go to university. They supported me steadfastly throughout my studies and were proud of my academic success. Both my mother and father had left school without qualifications and no one in the family had previously gone into higher education. But I was never comfortable with the idea of going on to university. Though I had worked hard at improving my social skills, I still felt awkward and uncomfortable around people. I had also had enough of the classroom and wanted to do something new and challenging. However, like many people at eighteen, I had no clear idea yet of what that might be. When I told my mother that I had decided not to go on to university she told me she was disappointed. At the time my parents were not sure that I would be able to fully adapt to the demands of the outside world. After all, I still found that the smallest things – like brushing my teeth and shaving – required a great deal of time and effort.

Every day I read the back pages of the newspaper, looking at various job adverts. At school I had told the careers officer that I wanted to be a postal sorter or a librarian one day. The idea of working in a sorting office, putting each letter in exactly the right slot, or in a library, surrounded by words and numbers, in environments that were structured, logical and quiet, had always seemed ideal to me. But the libraries in my area were not looking for new staff and some required particular qualifications that I did not have. Then I saw a small newspaper advert asking for individuals interested in doing volunteer work overseas. I had read so much in books about the different countries of the world – I knew the names of all the capital cities of Europe – that the idea of living and working in a different country far away struck me at once as both a terrifying and enormously exciting prospect. It was a huge step to even contemplate, but I knew that I did not want to live with my parents forever.

I talked it over with my family. They were not sure, but said it would be okay for me to call the number in the advert for more information. A few days later some leaflets came through the door. The people who had placed the advert represented a youth branch of VSO – Voluntary Services Overseas – an international development charity and the largest volunteer-sending organisation in the world. They were particularly looking to provide young people from deprived areas of the UK with an opportunity – to perform volunteer work in another country – that would otherwise not be available to them. Successful applicants would be sent to positions in parts of Eastern Europe and would be given ongoing training and support throughout the duration of their placement. After further conversations with my family I filled out the application form and waited to hear from the organisers.

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