Introduction: The First Piece to this Mess

The Introduction to Broken Glass

            Imagine for just a moment that in one day your entire reality was mixed up. Everything you thought you knew now makes no sense. All you have left to do is to pick up the scattered puzzle pieces of your life. There’s just one problem, this isn’t a puzzle. It’s shattered glass. That’s the story of my life, repeatedly.

            In life, everyone is always going to be longing for something. For one reason or another, people search for answers and solutions to the circumstances in their life. We quickly jump to the things society offers to fill the void that plagues our hearts. Drugs, money, sex, or even other temptations we continue to abuse.

            For many, these desires are a lot more troubling than others would have them. They face certain challenges that most people would never dream of. Their way of thinking and behavior is so vastly different that it has led the world to brand them as weirdos and freaks. In several ways, the world has turned its back on these people when all they needed was a little guidance.

            Autism… what is the first thing, or person, that you think of when you come across this concept? Are you one of the lucky few individuals who understand what it is and advocate for those who have it? Great, I’m glad you’re here. Let’s share this journey together.

            Are you one of the amazing people who don’t know what it is, but you support the people who have it? Awesome, I’m glad you’re here. Not only through this novel can you gain an even deeper understanding of what autism is, but you’ll also get to see it in action with my own life and how it affects some pretty wild situations.

            Are you one of those included in the majority of America today who mistreat autistic individuals because you don’t understand or don’t care to? That’s okay because we will forgive you. We just want you to understand. Therefore, I'm taking a stand via a means that I know. Please don’t take this personally, but I wish you a deeper understanding.

            The group of people I speak of is the Autistic Community. They are different than most people as defined by society. My hope is for you to come out with an understanding of it and to look forward to supporting people who have it. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized in many ways, which I will delve into later.

Of the many diagnosed with autism, I am one. Let me introduce myself �" I am Alex Potter and you are reading the story of my life up until now. The story I am presenting to you is the best that I can remember. It is an honest testimony of how I got to the point I am at now.

In this story, you’ll witness right along with me several “key” moments of my life. My hope is for this to be inspirational to many, autistic or not. Reflected within these pages are parts of autism such as anxiety, and ambitiousness, amongst other things.

There will be some pretty bright moments, dark, wild, and unbelievable too. The purpose of me telling you about these moments is to first and foremost educate the uneducated and further inform people who seek to know. However, I aim to inspire those with similar or other disabilities. It’s time to stand up to those who wish to silence disabled Americans. It’s time to stand up to those who look down on or hope to mistreat us. Also, I aim to inspire people are thinking of taking their own life, as I also wanted to.

I need to make something very clear before we go any further. The point of this story is in no way to glorify me. The fact is the intentions I’ve already previously stated cumulate to the main goal of my life: for people to learn about Jesus through me.

I don’t want anyone to be detoured because of the religious stance taken here. I’m not here to judge you or force anything upon anyone. Yet, I believe firmly that my duty as a Christian is to love others and show them Jesus. I try to do this in the most respectful and loving way. I encourage you to read this with an open mind and to come to your own conclusions on what I present. If you decide to move on from my religious stances, at least take away what I deliver on autism.

As you read this, remember that some details might be inaccurate. This is based on how I remember things. Though my memory has served me well in many circumstances, I am far from perfect. I may forget certain details or have failed memory. If something contradicts something else in this story please keep in mind that I am not perfect.

In the end, I hope this finds you in a spot where you know you need help or you know someone who needs it. Maybe you are like Dr. Shaun of the Good Doctor who needs some motivation (and correct where I’m wrong while you’re at it, we all know he would). Or maybe you are one of the many Hannah Bakers, Evan Hansons out there, contemplating taking your own life. Life is so much more than the pain you are in.

I truly hope that my story can inspire you. If you think this story can inspire someone else, or even educate them, give it to them. Here we go! Let’s delve into my story.