Adriel, I'm not sure what I can offer you here. I am dreadfully sorry to hear that you were brutally attacked and, I gather, sustained significant physical damage to cause this memory loss and need for a service dog. I presume that you are taking full advantage of the counseling services at the university.

I am especially pleased that your professors were/are willing to read "Be Different" to help better understand you. It was with the writing of this book that set John on the path of service to help others understand those on the spectrum; most especially parents and folks like you to help you understand yourselves. Surround yourself with people who love you and continue to walk away from those who ridicule and hate.

I am probably John's best friend. It was painful to see what he had to endure as an adolescent but through strength of character he has succeeded in the car business. We grew up in a liberal college town and this, in combination with my having attended nerd-central MIT, John didn't seem all that weird to me. Just a bit different but very smart and above all, a loyal friend.

He is brutally direct and totally honest with his customers about their cars. Some can't handle that, others have been loyal customers since we started fixing cars in his driveway. He has wisely hired smart women receptionists/assistant service managers to help smooth the customers he has riled.

I asked him recently when he plans to admit to his readership that I started the car business with him. He said that his editor rejected this back-story from inclusion in the latest book. But now you, and others on this forum, know. He now has genuine empathy, which is an amazing evolution. I suppose that he always had it but only now has he learned to express it.

Mary, AKA "Little Bear," still lives in the house in South Hadley. Her oldest brother and I were best friends in high school which is how I came to know John. She was among the few who understood him as described in "Look Me in the Eye." Evidently she is on the spectrum as is their son, Jack, who is the subject of "Raising Cubby." The house is looking better than when we did cars there 30 years ago in part because she made out pretty well on "So You Want to Be a Millionaire."

Mary Robison on Who Wants to be a Millionaire - YouTube

She and Jack recently designed and built an updated Ace Frehley Light Guitar for a KISS fan using modern LED technology. John designed the original, but Mary and Jim Boughton actually built it. She hand soldered the 1000+ connections.

Lit guitar by the people who made them for Ace Frehley (of KISS) - YouTube

His new marriage is working out very well and that aspect of his life is really helping to continue to take the sharp edges off his personality. They headed off to Australia earlier this week to promote the book and speak with various autism advocacy and scholarly groups there.

Be different. Woof.

- Neil