Pretending to be Normal by Tony Attwood

Author:Tony Attwood [Liane Holliday Willey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780857009876
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Published: 2014-08-25T04:00:00+00:00

6

ROCKING MY BABIES

Oh My God!

A one act, one scene play based on a true story.

The setting: The hospital ultrasound laboratory.

The characters: an ultrasound technician, a nurse, an Asperger Mom-to-be and the nervous Father-to-be.

The plot: Things are not progressing as they should be during what should have been a normal pregnancy and the primary care obstetrician is concerned for the baby’s safety. An ultrasound is ordered and is just beginning…

The technician: Here we go. This might be a bit cold (pours lubricating jell on the Mom-to-be’s stomach and begins using the ultrasound wand). Alrighty, I can see what I need to now. Here’s one head…(takes a pause and a deep breath) and here’s the other head.

The Mom-to-be: Two heads? You see two heads? The baby has two heads? (Mom-to-be gasps and, with horror in her eyes, looks over at nervous husband who is beginning to slide to the floor.)

The technician: Dad? Dad are you all right? Looks like we lost another one. (Shouting to the outer office) I need help in here, we’ve got another dad on the floor.

ENTER the nurse who begins to tend to the nervous husband, helping him to sit up, catch his breath, etc.

The Mom-to-be: Oh my God! I can’t believe my baby has two heads. (She begins to shake uncontrollably.)

The technician: Two heads? Heavens no. Didn’t you know you were having twins?

The Mom-to-be: Twins? Oh my God!

THE END

They say truth is more unbelievable than fiction and if my life is any indication, I would have to say, I agree. It is true that when the short scene above played before me in real life, I truly did think my baby had two heads. While I am not certain this illustrates the literal mindedness that often grabs hold of my AS, I do know it sets a perfect stage for my life as an AS parent. For the past twelve years, I have felt as if I live in a topsy-turvy world of bemused consciousness, somewhere in between what should be and what is. In our home, for example, my children provide me with just about as much role modeling as I provide them. While I am able to set forth the more mature hierarchy of moral and ethical standards, the kids are able to show me how I should act and behave in public. In fact, they often lead me through public arenas knowing that without their help, I am likely to both literally and figuratively lose my way. The kids force me, by their very existence, into a realm of reality that before their arrival was hardly of any matter to me. Because I deeply care that they are well cared for – well educated, happily engaged, and in all other ways, satisfied young beings – I try as hard as I can to control and monitor my behaviors and thoughts consistently. I try to be Every Mom.

While parenting brings out the most normal in me, it also showcases that about me which is the most unconventional and at times unacceptably challenging.

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