#just remember that nobody’s missing out on their autism because you choose to embrace yours

[awetistic-things]

it's funny how most of the times i tell myself "i'm doing it just for attention" or that "i'm just faking it" or whatnot (i'm not diagnosed, i'll have my very first therapy session in two days, pretty anxious about it tbh but anyway) but literally i never talk to anyone about how i feel/my thoughts/my struggles/etc. and i actually have always kind of suffered from being considered "weird" because of my "quirks" or because i've never been as social as my peers and i went as far as self-convincing i was actually extroverted and enjoyed parties/social events in general when they literally make me anxious and i always try to look confident and pretend my awkwardness is just me being funny (i am actually funny tho lol) and i always try to pretend i'm "normal" (who defines normal anyway but okay) .

and anyway it's not like i saw some random post i related to and proclaimed to the world i'm autistic. i made my research and i think there could be the tiniest teeny possibility i might be autistic (tbh i don't feel comfortable with self-diagnosing exactly because i already feel like i'm pretending even if doesn't make any sense. i support people self-diagnosing when "people" isn't me lol).

sorry for the vent :") lately i've just been struggling with the duality of "accepting i have symptoms of autism even if i'm not diagnosed" and "shut up you're just pretending you have them for clout" (even if i know it doesn't make any sense and i'm just making myself feel worse than i actually should).

hello !! :)

i completely understand where you’re coming from. self-diagnosis is tricky to come to terms with, but it’s important to remember that it’s really okay

being self-diagnosed is okay, being formally diagnosed is okay, being self-suspecting is okay, it’s okay

you including yourself in this community isn’t excluding anybody else, there’s room for all us and more some

i get that it’s a lot easier to support self-diagnosed people and go “yeah ! you’re valid !” while also thinking of yourself as a fraud because you are also self-diagnosed, but it’s really fine

at the end of the day, we’re all just autistic people, and some got a doctor to agree with them when they say “i’m autistic !” which is super cool, but another super cool thing is hearing someone say “i’m autistic !” and just them agreeing with themselves

either way, is totally fine

let yourself breathe for a moment, ‘cause at the end of the day you are not a bunch of symptoms, you’re you, and forget anybody that tells you that you’re in the wrong for how you choose to address yourself (including yourself !! you gotta stand up to yourself sometimes and tell them to stop being so mean !! you’re trying your best and that’s absolutely gobsmackingly wonderful and i’m very proud of you for it !!)

just give yourself a break from the “will they won’t they’s” of self-diagnosing, and just do whatever you can to help yourself out

look up advice for autistics online and see if it helps, dump your heart out to your new therapist about anything and everything, just take advantage of any opportunities you see and give yourself a helping hand, because you very much deserve one <3

[thechasefiles]

The Chase Files Daily Newscap 4/29/2019

Good MORNING  #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Monday 29th April 2019. Remember you can read full articles for FREE via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS) OR by purchasing by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

DLP ON A PATH TO RECOVERY: DURANT – The Democratic Labour Party (DLP), which was defeated in last year’s general election, is on a path to recovery. This declaration came from Pastor of Restoration Ministries, Dr David Durant, who said the party was focused on rebuilding organizational strength at the constituency level which was important for the political, social and economic wheels to succeed. As he delivered the sermon at the DLP’s 64th anniversary thanksgiving service, which was held at the party’s George Street, Belville, St Michael, auditorium, this morning, Durant told those in attendance that along with organizational strength at the constituency level, the party was also rebuilding political strength in every arm of its structure, to chart a revolutionary path to the 2023 general elections. He noted that the party has recognized the need for relevant, sound policy ideas that can be communicated in clear, coherent and consistent messages. “After 64 years, the DLP is rebuilding her reputation of being vibrant, friendly, energetic, caring for the poor and purpose-driven; she must be quite aware that this cannot be achieved without having a more sophisticated communications strategy, that is very necessary, in this advanced technological 21st century world,” he said. “This party going forward will adopt a new approach to politics and embrace a face-to-face year-round level of communicating with the electorate of Barbados. People on the ground networking and engaging the public in respectful, relevant, needs-based two-way conversations will create wonders in broadening the base of your support, especially when some of those conversations can produce positive results.” Durant also professed that the DLP will need to continue embracing the politically intelligent and skillful leaders who understand the vision of the organization and who embody what the party stands for. He said such a move would make a crucial difference in its success. Durant advised: “Nobody, no situation or anything can keep you down unless you choose not to rise again. In life there are defining moments that we dare not miss, making the choice between giving up and going on can be one of them for you. Certainly you cannot turn back the clock, but what you can patiently do, is to rewind it once again and keep on going.” Delivering remarks, President of the DLP Verla DePeiza said she was heartened by how much closer the DLP family has become in the past year. She reminded those present that members are free to speak up within the Party, and urged them to encourage others to attend party events, to share their experiences, knowledge, and vision, as the party nurtures its roots to ensure that the tree that grows was much stronger than the last. “I inspire you to speak up and speak out. There may very well be repercussions, but I have urged you privately, and now I urge you publicly, to have the courage of your convictions,” she said. During the service which was organized by Restoration Ministries, there was singing and dance presentations from the audience, and selected groups and individuals.  (BT)

GAIA TO BE EXPANDED – Minister of Tourism Kerrie Symmonds says Government is seeking to expand Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) in a bid to accommodate more arrivals. “We are now in an advanced stage of doing an agreement that would allow us to see 75,000 square feet of new floor space being built out at GAIA and that is like building a new airport and annexing it on to the existing one. [This] gives us an opportunity to see our capacity to handle arrivals move from the record level 687,000 to one million arrivals as quickly as possible thereafter,” he said. The announcement was made during the Loyal Visitors Cocktail reception held at Blackwoods Screw Docks, Bridgetown over the weekend. Symmonds also announced that government is closing an agreement with Lufthansa Airlines which would see 1,000 Germans coming into Grantley Adams International Airport. “We are in the closing of a firm agreement with Lufthansa as they have started to load flights. We have not spent a dollar yet because our marketing commitments have not begun but we have 1,000 people coming out of Germany on Lufthansa with just the announcement. Three days weekly they will be bringing in traffic from Frankfurt,” he said.  (BT)

RESIDENTS MUST BE INCLUDED IN DEVELOPMENT, SYMMONDS SAYS – A Government Minister is charging more must be done to redefine the island’s tourism product. Minister of Tourism Kerrie Symmonds in delivering his welcome remarks at the Loyal Visitors Cocktail reception held at Blackwoods Screw Docks, Bridgetown, said Barbados has a lot of prime real estate entities that are misused. “Barbados has a bunch of opportunities which have remained unpacked, unexplored and undeveloped from the time I was a little boy learning to swim. The reality is a lot of our beachfront property is old warehouses which are misused. The reality is some of our beachfront property are abandoned commercial buildings. Some of them are empty car parks,” he said. Symmonds said UNESCO heritage sites can also be retrofitted into signature tourism attractions. Thus, he said investment cannot only be limited to structural and financial development alone it must include the revitalization of Bridgetown for residents as well as guests. “We want you to help us deal with the need of having recreational facilities for our communities where we do not have appropriate recreational facilities but which must have them if we are to have a happy coexistence with the inhabitants of the City of Bridgetown and the surrounding communities of St Michael,” he said. The Minister of Tourism said a happy coexistence between the residents and investors is critical as Government does not want a situation similar to Latin America where the disconnect between investors and citizens led to antagonism. “We want to have the type of planning gains that allow for better housing in our communities, better recreational facilities, better drainage for those who are in low lying coastal areas, and more important than that, the investment in small business opportunities in communities which can be linked back to the hotels,” he said.  (BT)

ONLINE VAT WORRY – Concerns are being raised about privacy and civil liberty issues in advance of value added tax (VAT) being applied to online shopping come Wednesday, May 1. Barbadian Alan Emtage, who conceived and implemented Archie, the world’s first Internet search engine, said as every online transaction will have to be scrutinised to see whether they are taxable, people’s privacy can be violated. “There are many things that people like to keep private that have nothing to do with doing ‘something wrong’, or at least certainly not illegal. Medical records, child or other support payments, court records, or even something as non earth-shattering as planning a surprise party are among the many such things that are routinely subject to all kinds of privacy concerns and requirements. These are things that you may not want your spouse or family, your employer or church group or government to know,” said Emtage. (DN)

AUTISM ASSOCIATION WANTS MORE SENSITIZATION IN WORKPLACES – The Autism Association of Barbados is lobbying for more sensitization in the workplace and the education system. President Frank Johnson said corporate Barbados does not have the prerequisites to accommodate autistic adults. He was speaking Saturday at the Au-Mazing Gift: A Journey to Autism Acceptance discussion at the Radisson Resort. The presentation which was conducted by Dr Alisha Griffith discussed increasing awareness about the disorder and also encouraging parents to create support groups and advocate for change. Johnson said more sensitization and awareness must be done on autism. He noted that the corporate sector “don’t know what to do” as it relates to adults with autism. “They should be sensitized that children like this do have abilities. It is the same across a broad spectrum of disabilities. There are people out there who are wheelchair bound and they are not considered to be productive but in fact, they can be productive. If you go to the Barbados Council of the Disabled, they employ disabled people of all sorts and they are able to take part in producing admin services and support to the BCD,” the president said. Johnson said as more children are diagnosed with autism, there needs to be a call for awareness and sensitization to their plight. He indicated that the association sought to create a lobby group which addressed the educational requirements for children who have difficulties. “Most people in the past have taken these children and let them stay at home for the rest of their lives and they are looked after by siblings or relatives and all of a sudden they are swept under the carpet. We are not for that, we are saying they do have abilities, they do `have the same needs as you and I and they should be treated as such,” he emphasized. “We are trying to reeducate people out here about their potential, their abilities and the fact they are not sociological write-offs, that they will have contributions to make to society, that they will be able to do jobs, they will be able to contribute to the tax base. They will be able to make their own way in life and eventually they will be able to look after themselves at various degrees.” The president also suggested further educational sensitization programmes for teaching staff and a re-look at the curriculum in schools to facilitate students with autism. He contended that the students did not need “massive amounts of investment in new equipment” but a new approach to teaching. “They do need sensitization of the staff to a different way of doing things with children who may need more patience so it is a question of using what you have in a different way,” Johnson stated.  (BT)

STUDENTS LOBBY FOR FACELIFT – Last year, hundreds of fed-up St George Secondary students complained about the deplorable condition of the bathrooms. A year later, head girl Destany Arthur and public relations officer of the Students’ Council, Nikisha Carlton, are happy their lobbying led to a facelift, inclusive of freshly-painted walls, three new water tanks and improved bathroom facilities. “The conditions were not up to standard and I felt that if I had to use the bathrooms, I would rather hold it in until I was ready to go home. I knew if the students did not talk about it, this would go unaddressed. “So I pushed it on the Students’ Council and with the help of the teachers and the principal, it went forward,” Carlton said.  They were able to get about 500 signatures before the matter went to principal Dennis Browne, who passed it on to the Ministry of Education. An ecstatic Arthur said the students of the Constant, St George school felt energised by the brighter surroundings and were seen taking pictures.   “Honestly, the school is not the building; it’s the students. But when people came to the school they only focused on the negative and the school is not negative, it’s a really good school,”she said. Arthur encouraged fellow students to keep their surroundings clean.  “Sometimes I clean the classroom to take [the] load off janitors because they get tired just like we do. We need to show the people outside that you love your school by not damaging it,” she added. Browne, who thanked the ministry for the intervention, said all the blame should not be placed on the students as this was the first time the bathrooms were improved since the school opened over 40 years ago. St George Secondary has a roll of more than 600 students.  (BT)

POLICE RESPOND TO TICKET CRITICISM – The Royal Barbados Police Force has responded to criticism over the issuing of parking tickets at the Buju Long Walk to Freedom concert on Saturday night.  Acting Station Sergeant Michael Blackman said: “Despite about three weeks of continuous public appeal there were a number of persons who continued to park indiscriminately on our walkway and pathways causing our pedestrians, especially our elderly and differently able, to walk in the road. This practice must stop and we will continue to enforce the law on their behalf".  The acting public relations officer's comments came after a viral video on social media blasted the police for issuing a series of parking tickets on the Spring Garden Highway last night.  However, in response, many of the comments were in favour of the police’s action and were critical of those who parked illegally. Blackman also said there were no major incidents reported and he lauded the good behaviour of the more than 17,000 patrons.  The RBPF invited members of the public to take "this civilised behaviour" into the  Crop Over season.  (DN)

FORDE ATTENDS WREATH LAYING CEREMONY AT JAMES STREET METHODIST– It was a somber mood at the James Street Methodist Church, James Street, The City, this morning, as the church recognized the contribution of National Hero Sarah Ann Gill. Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Cynthia Forde joined the congregation for a remembrance and wreath laying ceremony, at Gill’s grave site, on the church’s compound. A historic perspective read by a member of the church, stated that as the Methodist community continue to celebrate 260 years in Barbados, the church is grateful to Gill for her contributions to Methodism and to Barbados. The perspective read that though persecuted, prosecuted, and faced with threats of death, Gill kept Methodism alive, educated the slaves and promoted religious and racial tolerance. In her own words, she was “a stranger to fear”. She successfully challenged the powerful, self serving defenders of slavery, extending religion and education to the enslaved and advancing the abolition process. The Gill Memorial Church was built at Eagle Hall in 1893, to honour her memory. It was replaced in the late 1980’s by the Ann Gill Memorial Church at Fairfield, Black Rock, St Michael. which was opened on August 26 1990. Her final resting place in the James Street Methodist Church is on property she provided to build the church. Speaking to members of the media following the service, Bishop The Reverend Derick Richards, said Gill exemplified what it means to be a true Methodist through demonstrating her relationship with Jesus and her contribution to national development. Bishop Richards said the only female National Hero was on the side of justice, the down trodden and the weary. “Sarah Ann Gill did all of that and today this wreath laying ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate her, but also to remind ourselves of who we are and how we need to be responding to the various challenges and social issues affecting Barbados. And so we are calling all Methodists and all Christians to do whatever they can to help make our society a better one,” he said. Members of the Church Choir and Barbados Boys’ Scouts also participated in the brief ceremony. (BT)

‘TOO MANY’ UNDER 50 YEARS DYING – Too many people under 50 years old are dying, a funeral director says. And he is cautioning young people to take better care of themselves. Funeral director and owner of Earl’s Funeral Home, Ian Griffith, said the increasing numbers of young people dying could be due to their lifestyles. “From my perspective, having been in the funeral business for over 35 years, it’s a fact that we have a lot of under-50 deaths in Barbados. We find that a lot more young people are succumbing to diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. It’s not just the older folks who are dying. It’s the younger ones going as well. Yes, we have some young ones dying from homicides but a lot of them are going from the chronic illnesses,” Griffith said. (DN)

BROADCASTER VERE WALCOTT HAS DIED – A familiar voice from the airwaves of the 1980s and 1990s has gone silent. Broadcaster Vere Walcott died today. Walcott, of Mangrove Park, St Philip worked at both the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation and the Starcom Network and became particularly known for his business reports. He was also the very popular Charlie Bravo delivering early morning traffic reports from a helicopter.  His son Sheldon Walcott remembered his father as someone who was always there for him and his sister Veria, hardworking and goal-driven. “He was always willing to help others,” Sheldon said. Manager of news with Starcom Stetson Babb remembered his former colleague as a journalist with great skills who worked across a number of areas from broadcasting, announcing to news reporting. “I worked with Vere at both CBC and Starcom Network and he was a veteran journalist of great skill. A great gentleman and a great person and in latter years he was deeply into his faith and religious principle,” he said. Former director of news and current affairs at CBC Michelle Arthur, who worked alongside Walcott as a reporter and on the morning traffic beat, recalled that he had a keen sense of business news and was well respected in the field.  Along with the Bravo Charlie traffic report Walcott also developed a segment of news called “That Bugs Me,  a satirical piece addressing issues or situations that many frowned upon but did not openly address. “He never had an unkind thing to say about anyone, always pointing out the best in people,” Arthur said. (DN)

For daily or breaking news reports follow us on Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter & Facebook. That’s all for today folks. There are 246 days left in the year. Shalom! #thechasefilesdailynewscap #thechasefiles# dailynewscapsbythechasefiles