Overcoming and becoming, against all odds.
Updated: Aug 7
Throughout my life with autism, I've gone through a lot of twists and turns, highs and lows, sometimes more lows than highs. Sometimes, I would get upset at school or at home if things didn't go my way, often retorting into my fantasy life of movie stars and cartoons. However, thanks to an amazing support system, I was able to get where I am today, grad student, advocate and published author.
To be perfectly honest, I didn't always feel resilient in the face of adversity. In fact, it could be very easy for me to question "why" I had to deal with so much at a young age. There's no doubt that the world can be a challenging place, especially when you have significant impairments like I do. But that's all the more reason that I had to take charge of my own life and create the life I wanted to have.
Even today, I still have significant struggles. Sometimes, for example, I forget to do my chores in the morning because I'm dealing with so much. I also tend to have anxiety whenever I feel like I don't "fit in" or experience particularly stressful situations, like being unable to find my Uber when my phone is on my last leg of juice. But, I remember to stay calm in most situations, because my track record of surviving all days, even my absolute worst ones, is 100%. Not bad for a girl who struggled to be accepted by her peers.
It's even more significant that, today is my 30th birthday. While some msy see that as "over the hill," so to speak, for many, the early 30s were just the beginning. JK Rowling didn't write the "Harry Potter" series until she was 32, for example, and Oprah didn't launch her famous TV program at that age. Granted, I do have a few books under my belt, but that's just the beginning of a spectacular career I have to look forward to.
One of the quotes in my first (but certainly not my last!) book, It's Not A Perfect World But I'll Take It, "even if you feel you’ve hit rock bottom, you’ve actually started to bounce back, and you never know what little thing might set you on the happier track," describing my experience from an emotionally distraught 8th grader to a confident and happy 9th grader. Well said, younger me. Well said.
Jennifer Rose is an autistic author and novelist whose work explores identity, imagination, and what it means to think differently in a world built for everyone else. Her novel Manimal Crackers draws on her own experience as an autistic writer to tell a story about impulsivity, mentorship, and finding your footing. She is also the author of It's Not a Perfect World, But I'll Take It (Skyhorse Publishing), a memoir in fifty life lessons about growing up autistic. Jennifer is currently developing a literary magazine, Autonomy, for autistic writers and readers.
Happy Birthday, Jenny!