Category: Participant Feature

Participant Feature: Introducing Mentone Mentour

9/4/2023

Hello again, friends! I’m glad you’re here, because I have some exciting news to share!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been busy with a recent development project within Metaphor Meadows! You remember that little place, right? Well, I’m happy to share that I’ve constructed a little building within the center plains of the area.

You might be thinking, “Wow, that’s a little intrusive, isn’t it?” And you’d be absolutely right if I hadn’t discovered that this entire little field… is completely barren! All forms of sentience just refuse to enter here and will make unnecessary detours to reach their destination. So, at that point, what’s a spontaneously erected office establishment going to do for the people in and out of the meadows?

The answer is a lot, because this is not just any ordinary building, this is the home of the Taleing Tall Terrace, featuring the owner of the hour, Madeline, the Mentone Mentour!

Here’s how it works: Anybody can use the submission box to ask any questions or concerns they have about what’s going on in their life: be it little pet peeves or long-term problems they wish to overcome. From there, I will view these, and publicly give advice from the perspective of the meadows! Worried that you can’t make it in person? No problem; recent technological advancements have allowed a Google forum to appear below all posts and pieces I publish! It’s as simple as a name, your question/concern, and submitting!

However, let me iterate some important notes before you click below and type something:

I am not a licensed psychiatrist, therapist, or hold any master’s degree level of training. This is only meant to be a safe venue to let your worries be written, and to have a voice come back and support you.
Your name will not be public. There’s no intention to release personal information through this. If you feel as if you’re in a situation that calls for that kind of action, I suggest contacting local authorities instead.
Your content is not guaranteed to appear in a post, but is still highly encouraged. There isn’t much I’m willing to avoid, but try to keep content around a PG-13 level.
The subject matter is limitless (provided it’s public-appropriate). Talk to me about sports, the weather, food, animals, habits… almost anything.
Lastly, I can only see your submissions through the Google forum. Leaving comments on the website or social media will not allow me to answer what’s on your mind. These carrier pigeons only know one thing, and it’s Google. If you try explaining something like Facebook or LinkedIn to them, they’d probably explode.

Remember, your submissions are going to be reviewed and displayed to a public audience. If you imagine talking with a friend you see infrequently, then you should have the general idea of privacy levels.

With all of that said, I look forward to hearing all of your thoughts and questions!

Until next time, where i’ll return with some press from the Taleing Tall Terrace express (a train isn’t until a few years down the road, so you’ll have to deal with hand gestures for now).

Madeline M.

Madeline is currently a senior in MICC's College Program, working towards her Hospitality certificate. Her creativity is as broad and crazy as her curls - creating entertaining stories and unique perspectives which become instantly memorable and cherished. Despite her wits and ways of forming words, she is constantly challenging herself by developing new skills and leaving a third eye open to anything that's piqued her curiosity. Whether you find her writing, drawing, music making, golfing, sailing, gaming, programming, or drinking too much Cherry Pepsi, you'll discover a character that you won't find anywhere else!

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Participant Feature: How to Enjoy Your Summer When the World Is Doomed

7/19/2023

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Hello, everyone! Long time no read, and happy summer!

This time of the year is always an exciting one for Minnesotans; whether you enjoy your time in the pool, the grassy fields, the backdoor forests, or 5-hour traffic jams, there’s always a little something that any person can gravitate their interest and dopamine towards. However, if you’ve ever had to look at the sky this summer (and I’m sure you have, because your brain requires a double-take on the gas prices), you’ll notice a rather weird, yet ominous presence that looms in the air. You’ve been reading all the warning signs, and the fruit is being barred over the sky’s garden - it’s the end of the world…

...in about 10 billion years.

I guess whoever was assigned chef of the planet forgot to upgrade their oven. That doesn’t mean things aren’t happening– After all, a smoking oven is only a convenience away from becoming a smoking gun. It’s clear that we’re starting to see what our climate’s health really is, and these dangerous skies are just another consequence of our failure to deliver our planet to our local E.R.

This all to say, you might not even need a roasting planet to feel hopeless. Maybe you’re just having a bad summer, with nothing lining up properly. Whether at the end of the spectrum you’re in, I hope to share some insight that can lead you to a brighter tomorrow.

When you look at the bright red sky, and the images of guilt and grief flow like the troubled thoughts they are, the biggest step to cleansing those thoughts is to know that, what you’re doing currently, is going to one day make the sky clear once more. It can be something as simple as running through your neighborhood; to something more active like donating or volunteering to trustworthy charities; or even something difficult like running for office and enabling policy that protects our planet. As long as you’re not harming yourself or others, whatever you end up doing will save the world.

When you reach adulthood and are able to make choices for yourself, you’re given a greenhouse to nurture. You don’t know where it is, but you keep it happy and healthy by bringing that same nourishment back to yourself. Not every greenhouse feeds off the same things to grow, but you learn what that is by continuing to live life to its fullest. I mean, look at me! I’m some random chump that’s writing brief little pieces for you to read, but in doing so, I’m growing my personal greenhouse by providing weird little stunts of wisdom and humor to brighten your day. It doesn’t matter how convoluted you make a greenhouse be, because at the end of the day, it’s still a greenhouse.

While it may take years or even eons for my greenhouse to finish its construction, what you’re reading now is the foundation of it. I don’t know what it’ll look like when finished, but I’m enjoying every moment of it because it’s something that I love doing, while feeling like it’s helping others in a small way.

This is not meant to pressure you into doing things. Downtime and resting are completely normal ways to grow a greenhouse. What’s important is that you recognize what your greenhouse needs, and how you’ll grow it. For me, it’s words. For you? I can’t read your mind, but I’d imagine it has something to do with having an enjoyable summer. Good thing your greenhouse is fueled by joy and euphoria, right?

Oh, would you look at the time! I must go and nurture my greenhouse through Cherry Pepsi; too many words can make the poor thing thirsty. I’ll leave your greenhouse to yourself, do as you wish with it.

Have a good remainder of the summer!

Madeline M.

Madeline will be a senior in MICC's College Program, working towards her Hospitality certificate. Her creativity is as broad and crazy as her curls - creating entertaining stories and unique perspectives which become instantly memorable and cherished. Despite her wits and ways of forming words, she is constantly challenging herself by developing new skills and leaving a third eye open to anything that's piqued her curiosity. Whether you find her writing, drawing, music making, golfing, sailing, gaming, programming, or drinking too much Cherry Pepsi, you'll discover a character that you won't find anywhere else!

MICC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit vocational and life skills training program for autistic and neurodivergent young adults. Since its founding in 1996, MICC has remained dedicated to supporting participants in successful transitions towards independent living and self-sufficiency. MICC participants achieve sustained, independent living; rewarding employment; financial security; personal growth; and responsible citizenship. We champion all participants, carry their successes into the world, and collaborate with others in service of our vision.

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Autism Awareness vs Autism Acceptance

4/28/2023

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Welcome back to our journey in discussing autism – same time, same blog!

This is the final chapter of a month-long analysis about the woes and discoveries of autism. I would highly recommend reading the first two pieces before this one, as they will all come together in the end.

Participant Feature 1: A Trip Through Metaphor Meadows
Participant Feature 2: Why Is Autism Acceptance Important

This might come as a shock for some of you, but I’m here to confess that I do, in fact, have autism. This does not mean that what I write here should be taken as law, because I am simply one person bringing my own perspective on how to improve operations in the nuthouse that we call society.

Earlier this week, I was approached with an interesting question: “Should we call this month Autism Awareness or Autism Acceptance?” I kinda just assumed it was just an innocent hypothesis thrown out to spark discussion, but then I did a little digging. As it turns out, this is a surprisingly recurring topic! If you search for the question in Google images, you’ll get several different diagrams of the pros and cons of each, as well as many articles discussing the topic. I have linked them below, and I highly recommend you check out. In the meantime, I’m going to take the three I’ve listed, and quote a specific line from each one. They are as follows:

“Awareness is easy. Acceptance requires actual work.” [Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN)]
“Awareness is trying to cure me. Acceptance is not trying to cure me.” [Barrier-Free Blog]
“Awareness does not imply doing anything different. Acceptance is taking action.” [ASK Advocates for Spectrum Knowledge]

There’s a pattern at play. Not only are these three quotes delivered under the same formula, but digging a little deeper into the authors of these pieces reveals that they all share an autism diagnosis. It’s unknown if this is coincidence or clever collaboration, but the point stands in that there is a common message trying to be spread. But that’s not all… look at some of these publication dates: these were all published years apart from each other; with the first article being published way back in 2012!

So… what gives? Why are we still discussing the same question, and how can we finally come to an answer?

Let me introduce to you: “The Attendance” Theory. (I did not grab this from anywhere; I’m completely making this up as I go, but bear with me.)

This is the theory that, for people who don’t belong in a specific minority group, when it’s time to support said group, there’s a larger importance on the presentation of support rather than the actual support. We can show our colors during June, dump as much ice water on our heads as we please, and remember that we have to remember black history during February as we want, but how much of that is going to help if our rights are still going to be held hostage at the end of the day? As much fun as it is to celebrate and write a social media post about the month to feel good, nothing will change unless we firmly state that anything other than acceptance is inexcusable. You can’t stop a bully by looking passively, but rather by stepping in and actively defending the victim.

This brings us back to our very friend we encountered in the beginning of this series, Lamorn. The Metaphor Meadows is a mysterious and perplexing place with many ways to interpret its events, but let’s view our story as a representation of awareness vs. acceptance: Awareness was happening, but it wasn’t what Lamorn wanted. It was only until we gave a mutual exchange of support and love, that they were able to feel happy and be themselves. This event of acceptance only happened once someone, who was in very many ways the same as Lamorn, had to step out of their own comfort to lend support; they showed the same awareness as everyone else did to Lamorn, but added the extra ingredient of accepted-ness to deliver the message.

Okay, let’s step back for a second. April has been a hectic month for many of us, and there was a lot said in this post. I want to take a second to thank everyone for the little ride we’ve journeyed through during this time. Hopefully you learned a little something, and if not, well, I must have been doing something right to keep you hooked this far.

Until next time!

Madeline M.

Madeline is currently a junior at MICC, working towards her Hospitality certificate. Her creativity is as broad and crazy as her curls-- Creating entertaining stories and unique perspectives which become instantly memorable and cherished. Despite her wits and ways of forming words, she is constantly challenging herself by developing new skills and leaving a third eye open to anything that's piqued her curiosity. Whether you find her writing, drawing, music making, golfing, sailing, gaming, programming, or drinking too much Cherry Pepsi, you'll discover a character that you won't find anywhere else!

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A Trip Through Metaphor Meadows

4/13/2023

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Happy April, readers! In celebration of Autism Acceptance Month, I am here to record my findings of an outstanding discovery found in the ‘Metaphor Meadows’. This is a place one can’t truly visit physically, but are given passage through their mind. Once you allow those clouds to blanket your vision, you’ll uncover the discoveries this place has to offer. Today’s finding is…

A Lamorn: A colorful, shapeshifting entity that peacefully travels the meadows in search of companionship.

Despite their ability to makeshift themselves into whatever they choose, they try to mold themselves into your everyday human, with the same capabilities and potential. I became fascinated by this creature, and followed behind them without a trace. In doing so, a pattern started to arise:

When approaching any creature, they would slowly lend their hand, and just wait. The other parties would give different reactions, and would sometimes even blankly stare back, until one of them lended their own hand. When the hands collided, time lost its meaning, and the environment oozed a scent of peace. That was, until the Lamorn began to bubble, like a spiced chili that escaped from the clutches of an oven. When the others noticed the physical discrepancy, the Lamorn only bubbled more, and more… Until finally, the mask broke, and revealed the entity in their base form: The same colorful anomaly that we first recognized from the beginning. Not a moment later, dust picks up from scurrying, and the Lamorn remains isolated again. It was becoming hopeless, until I reached an epiphany, and began brainstorming…

After a long, failed day of rejection, the Lamorn aimlessly drifted in one direction. No logical thoughts, and a loss of what they intended to accomplish that day. When they were about to stop and melt in their own sorrows for the night, they took one glance up. A hand was reaching out to them. They, like the other creatures, stood there in silence, and stared. The moon stopped rising through the horizon, and the early stars paused their twinkling. They grabbed my hand, and we stood there content, with an inner mutual understanding. Only after we smiled back at each other, I started to bubble, and their physical presence was mirrored. We smiled, hugged… and talked about the most obscure pieces of literature and television for 12 hours.

An incredible lesson was learned about the fear of our own representation, and what we feel we need to turn into despite our limitless possibilities. But now, only one question remains: how many others have bubbled?

This is a question I wish to forward to you, dear readers. As we go through this month together, try to be mindful of any bubbling sightings, and give comfort. Our strongest tool is encouragement, and the truth that there’s no reason to fear it; even if it ends up popping.

Madeline M.

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Participant Feature: Introducing Mentone Mentour

Madeline M.

Participant Feature: How to Enjoy Your Summer When the World Is Doomed

Madeline M.

Autism Awareness vs Autism Acceptance

Madeline M.

A Trip Through Metaphor Meadows

Madeline M.

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