W
ho am I, you ask? Well, I’m a musician … that just happens to be on the
autism spectrum. I’m a multi-instrumentalist. I’ve worked on and helped produced
a few multi-platinum-selling, GRAMMY-winning albums, worked at some record labels and
toured the world. I’m a military veteran. I’m an
author. I’m a contributing editor for an awardwinning entertainment magazine. I’m an awardwinning entrepreneur. I’m a father. According
to family stories passed down to me from my
parents and theirs, I’m a mixture of many ethnicities, possibly American Aboriginal, Arab,
Caribbean, German
and Spanish. Clearly,
I’m multiethnic with
brown skin. In today’s societies, that’s
called being ‘black.’
Autistic,
Adult,
Brown,
“I’m multiethnic with
Alive,
brown skin. In today’s
societies, that’s called
being ‘black.’”
Most would see this
description and maybe think, ‘This person seems to be doing rather
well for himself,’ and you would not be wrong to
surmise that. Those accomplishments were (and
continue to be) a combination of a conscious
effort to maintain an optimistic approach to life,
much hard work (no task or routine too menial),
targeted education, many mentors (both real and
virtual), multiple levels of experiences, tons of
mistakes and sometimes painful sacrifices. What
many do not see are the multiple mental, emotional and societal gymnastics I must master in
order to stay alive in a world that continues to
teach its citizenry that peoples with brown skin
are less valuable than those who are not.
Still Invisible.
8
ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses
Photo by ???
Look, I’m just a musician. I want to create musical memories. I’m pro human race. I’m anti-hate.
I’m pro peace and love. None of these feelings are a stretch for me. In many ways, much
of what I feel is amplified by my neurological
condition, causing the need for me to completely
shut down and tune out, sometimes for days,
from information overload.
By Michael Buckholtz
not leave my ID (my papers). My auto registration and insurance is strategically tucked into
the passenger side visor, overhead, so when I’m
stopped by police, my hands will be in clear
view a