Poem: "New and Useful Stims"
May. 6th, 2018 12:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the May 1, 2018 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from readera. It also fills the "success" square in my 5-1-18 General card for the Pro Wrestling Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the series An Army of One.
"New and Useful Stims"
Darmid hangs a sign
in the Agora that says,
New and Useful Stims.
Around him lie boxes
and boxes of things to do.
One of the biggest boxes
says Mixed Small Parts to Sort,
and there are smaller boxes
stacked in front of that.
Another has Pots to Decorate,
along with odds and ends of
colorful things to glue on them.
Make a Windchime has
metal and glass bits that
sing when struck together.
The next sign says both
Learn to Crochet! and
Learn to Knit! above
a box of mixed yarns.
Mair is trying to glue
broken buttons on a pot
to make a rainbow.
Tyson is sorting parts,
humming happily with
his tongue sticking out.
Shuttlecock is showing off
some fancy stitches while
Leor demonstrates basics
to a small, fascinated crowd.
Novalie types a question,
and Leor answers it. Then
Novalie resumes her knitting.
Bexley and the Falconwing P42
want to make something together.
Darmid directs them toward
the supplies for windchimes.
They wind up using Bexley's hands
to assemble Falconwing's design,
based on its analysis of the acoustics
inherent in the available materials.
It sounds beautiful when finished.
Everywhere is the sound of busy hands --
fingers snapping, loose parts clicking,
knitting needles clacking, windchimes
jingling in the artificial breeze.
The Lacuna is full of broken things
and abandoned people, but they are
learning to turn that to their advantage.
It isn't just about using what they have,
but about defining who they are.
They are the people who turn
fragments and discards into art.
Looking at the loud, happy hands
all around him, Darmid declares
his project a resounding success.
* * *
Notes:
Darmid -- a neurotypical man. He is married to Verena, a pilot. They have a three-year-old daughter, Mair (probably neurotypical) and a four-year-old son Tyson (neurovariant with ADHD). Darmid is currently a teacher, and also has a background in emergency work. He moved to the Lacuna to escape persecution of his family on Epizygis. Introduced in "No Measure of Health."
Mair -- a three-year-old girl, probably neurotypical. She is the daughter of Verena and Darmid, younger sister of Tyson (neurovariant with ADHD). Her family moved to the Lacuna to escape persecution on Epizygis. Introduced in "No Measure of Health."
Tyson -- a four-year-old boy, (neurovariant with ADHD). He is the son of Verena and Darmid, older brother of Mair (probably neurotypical). His family moved to the Lacuna to escape persecution on Epizygis. Introduced in "No Measure of Health."
Shuttlecock -- a neurovariant woman who makes clothes at a shop called Threads. She lives at Sargasso Base. She is friends with Palmer. Introduced in "Umbilical Lines."
Leor -- a Jewish teen who moves to the Lacuna with their family for the sake of gaining other-gendered paperwork. Leor is agender, asexual, and aromantic. They want a B'nai Mitzvah, but their rabbi only offered Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah as options. So they're hoping for something better here. Introduced in "Knitting at the Ready."
Novalie -- a neurovariant woman with anomic aphasia. She can speak, but she can't remember the right words, so she chooses not to speak most of the time. Her husband Taj respects that. Novalie is an artist. She moved to the Lacuna from Epizygis due to persecution. Introduced in "No Measure of Health."
Bexley -- a neurovariant girl of thirteen, who runs away with Cruiser Falconwing P42. She is introduced in "The Love We Give Our Fragile Craft" and "No Measure of Health."
Cruiser Falconwing P42 -- the AYES of a jumpship originally from the Carina-Sagittarius army. When its pilot gave orders to open fire on a medevac ship, Falconwing refused and abandoned him on the nearest station. It does not feel that jumpships are bound to follow unlawful orders, just as human soldiers are not. It later approaches Sargasso Base and gets into an argument with the OCS-223, a seemingly derelict jumpship from the Orion army who disapproves of the secession. When Falconwing identifies itself as a conscientious objector to war, the Minotaur who oversees Sargasso Base grants the jumpship permission to approach. Subsequently Falconwing picks up a refugee, a thirteen-year-old girl named Bexley, and they decide to stay together. Introduced in "Conscientious Objectors."
* * *
Sargasso Base has a large open area called Agora Park. It gives people a place to move around and socialize if they wish.
(Some of these links are intense.)
Many neurovariant people use stimming to aid focus, soothe stress, or just remember where their bodies are. Such stimming is normal and healthy for people with a variety of neurodiverse features. Some stims are more socially acceptable than others. Stress toys are specially designed to meet this need in the least bothersome way possible. Darmid is cleverly channeling the need to stim toward types of repetitive work that need doing, such as sorting parts, upcycling junk, and making knitwear.
(Some of these links are harsh.)
Sorting is a natural and necessary part of childhood, and some people never lose their delight in it. Many children love picking apart piles of stuff and laying out toys in rows or other groups. Unfortunately, doctors have pathologized sorting play into stereotypy, demanding that children play only in ways pleasing to adults. The problem with this is that any activity ordered by adults is NOT PLAY but is work. Children need free play in order to be healthy.
Decorated flower pots are fun and easy to make.
Windchimes can be made from all kinds of different things.
Fibercrafts include knitting and crocheting.
(Some of these links are heinous.)
Quiet hands and applied behavioral analysis are cited as abuse by autistic people who have survived them and can describe the harm done. Everyone has a right to communicate, and to solve challenges in a way that works for them. There are ways to tell if a type of therapy is harmful. Autistic adults are banding together in projects like Loud Hands to fight against the abuse.
readera. It also fills the "success" square in my 5-1-18 General card for the Pro Wrestling Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the series An Army of One."New and Useful Stims"
Darmid hangs a sign
in the Agora that says,
New and Useful Stims.
Around him lie boxes
and boxes of things to do.
One of the biggest boxes
says Mixed Small Parts to Sort,
and there are smaller boxes
stacked in front of that.
Another has Pots to Decorate,
along with odds and ends of
colorful things to glue on them.
Make a Windchime has
metal and glass bits that
sing when struck together.
The next sign says both
Learn to Crochet! and
Learn to Knit! above
a box of mixed yarns.
Mair is trying to glue
broken buttons on a pot
to make a rainbow.
Tyson is sorting parts,
humming happily with
his tongue sticking out.
Shuttlecock is showing off
some fancy stitches while
Leor demonstrates basics
to a small, fascinated crowd.
Novalie types a question,
and Leor answers it. Then
Novalie resumes her knitting.
Bexley and the Falconwing P42
want to make something together.
Darmid directs them toward
the supplies for windchimes.
They wind up using Bexley's hands
to assemble Falconwing's design,
based on its analysis of the acoustics
inherent in the available materials.
It sounds beautiful when finished.
Everywhere is the sound of busy hands --
fingers snapping, loose parts clicking,
knitting needles clacking, windchimes
jingling in the artificial breeze.
The Lacuna is full of broken things
and abandoned people, but they are
learning to turn that to their advantage.
It isn't just about using what they have,
but about defining who they are.
They are the people who turn
fragments and discards into art.
Looking at the loud, happy hands
all around him, Darmid declares
his project a resounding success.
* * *
Notes:
Darmid -- a neurotypical man. He is married to Verena, a pilot. They have a three-year-old daughter, Mair (probably neurotypical) and a four-year-old son Tyson (neurovariant with ADHD). Darmid is currently a teacher, and also has a background in emergency work. He moved to the Lacuna to escape persecution of his family on Epizygis. Introduced in "No Measure of Health."
Mair -- a three-year-old girl, probably neurotypical. She is the daughter of Verena and Darmid, younger sister of Tyson (neurovariant with ADHD). Her family moved to the Lacuna to escape persecution on Epizygis. Introduced in "No Measure of Health."
Tyson -- a four-year-old boy, (neurovariant with ADHD). He is the son of Verena and Darmid, older brother of Mair (probably neurotypical). His family moved to the Lacuna to escape persecution on Epizygis. Introduced in "No Measure of Health."
Shuttlecock -- a neurovariant woman who makes clothes at a shop called Threads. She lives at Sargasso Base. She is friends with Palmer. Introduced in "Umbilical Lines."
Leor -- a Jewish teen who moves to the Lacuna with their family for the sake of gaining other-gendered paperwork. Leor is agender, asexual, and aromantic. They want a B'nai Mitzvah, but their rabbi only offered Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah as options. So they're hoping for something better here. Introduced in "Knitting at the Ready."
Novalie -- a neurovariant woman with anomic aphasia. She can speak, but she can't remember the right words, so she chooses not to speak most of the time. Her husband Taj respects that. Novalie is an artist. She moved to the Lacuna from Epizygis due to persecution. Introduced in "No Measure of Health."
Bexley -- a neurovariant girl of thirteen, who runs away with Cruiser Falconwing P42. She is introduced in "The Love We Give Our Fragile Craft" and "No Measure of Health."
Cruiser Falconwing P42 -- the AYES of a jumpship originally from the Carina-Sagittarius army. When its pilot gave orders to open fire on a medevac ship, Falconwing refused and abandoned him on the nearest station. It does not feel that jumpships are bound to follow unlawful orders, just as human soldiers are not. It later approaches Sargasso Base and gets into an argument with the OCS-223, a seemingly derelict jumpship from the Orion army who disapproves of the secession. When Falconwing identifies itself as a conscientious objector to war, the Minotaur who oversees Sargasso Base grants the jumpship permission to approach. Subsequently Falconwing picks up a refugee, a thirteen-year-old girl named Bexley, and they decide to stay together. Introduced in "Conscientious Objectors."
* * *
Sargasso Base has a large open area called Agora Park. It gives people a place to move around and socialize if they wish.
(Some of these links are intense.)
Many neurovariant people use stimming to aid focus, soothe stress, or just remember where their bodies are. Such stimming is normal and healthy for people with a variety of neurodiverse features. Some stims are more socially acceptable than others. Stress toys are specially designed to meet this need in the least bothersome way possible. Darmid is cleverly channeling the need to stim toward types of repetitive work that need doing, such as sorting parts, upcycling junk, and making knitwear.
(Some of these links are harsh.)
Sorting is a natural and necessary part of childhood, and some people never lose their delight in it. Many children love picking apart piles of stuff and laying out toys in rows or other groups. Unfortunately, doctors have pathologized sorting play into stereotypy, demanding that children play only in ways pleasing to adults. The problem with this is that any activity ordered by adults is NOT PLAY but is work. Children need free play in order to be healthy.
Decorated flower pots are fun and easy to make.
Windchimes can be made from all kinds of different things.
Fibercrafts include knitting and crocheting.
(Some of these links are heinous.)
Quiet hands and applied behavioral analysis are cited as abuse by autistic people who have survived them and can describe the harm done. Everyone has a right to communicate, and to solve challenges in a way that works for them. There are ways to tell if a type of therapy is harmful. Autistic adults are banding together in projects like Loud Hands to fight against the abuse.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-05-06 08:10 pm (UTC)I'm wishing all over again that I could find somebody in local meatspace who knew how to teach blind folks to knit or crochet. Still looking.
Thoughts
Date: 2018-05-06 08:36 pm (UTC)Sorting parts is a real job in a mechanic shop or garage. Often you wind up with stuff that's just loose, or you're parting out a bicycle and it's faster to throw everything together and sort it later. Programs that teach kids to repair bikes often have sorting as a basic task.
>> I'm wishing all over again that I could find somebody in local meatspace who knew how to teach blind folks to knit or crochet. Still looking. <<
I found some resources in text online ...
Tips for formerly sighted people on adapting to blind fibercrafts:
http://www.visionaware.org/info/everyday-living/recreation-and-leisure/arts-and-crafts/sewing-and-embroidery/knitting-and-crochet/12345
http://blog.cnib.ca/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?List=9028a3c9-88f2-49e1-bd91-28de3e292019&ID=770&Web=cf0574a6-eb20-48b0-b0f8-124d7617ad52
If you find someone who can crochet, here are instructions for teaching a blind student:
http://petitpoix.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-teach-blind-people-to-crochet_14.html
A video about crocheting without looking at your hands, by a blind crafter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O82IYSaBItg
Crocheting Blind blog:
http://crochetingblind.blogspot.com/
Books on learning fibercrafts are available in audio or Braille format:
http://andyshell.com/shell/knit1.htm
Knitting and crochet patterns are available in Braille and large print:
http://www.tsbvi.edu/instructional-resources-items/3722-knitting
http://www.tsbvi.edu/seehear/spring06/yarn.htm
CraftingBlind
A place for blind and visually impaired crafters.
https://craftingblind.wordpress.com/
I couldn't really find the kind of how-to materials I wanted. If you do learn how to knit or crochet, seriously consider writing instructions for blind people to learn those skills from scratch. You might try searching for a local fibercraft club and see if anyone there would be willing to teach you. Some crafters are very avid about their hobby and love teaching new people. The older ones are often hunting for a new challenge, and translating visual instruction to tactile and verbal could be very exciting.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2018-05-06 08:59 pm (UTC)This is the sort of thing a store might find it practical to pay a neurovariant person to do; a few hours a couple of days a week could make a tremendous difference, if an employee could be assigned to concentrate on it.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2018-05-06 09:35 pm (UTC)I've seen the same thing. Factors I can identify include:
* Fewer people really know what they're doing with handywork, meaning they rummage more instead of knowing how to handle the parts precisely.
* There are more chainstores and fewer family hardware stores, reducing the sense of ownership pride.
* More employees are just there to sell things, and have high turnover; instead of really knowing the products because they stick around for years. They're less likely to keep stuff tidy because they feel less invested and may not even know where it goes.
>>This is the sort of thing a store might find it practical to pay a neurovariant person to do; a few hours a couple of days a week could make a tremendous difference, if an employee could be assigned to concentrate on it.<<
That is a brilliant idea. It's work that many neurovariant people excel at and enjoy, while most neurotypical people dislike it and don't do it as well.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-05-06 08:11 pm (UTC)jargon
Date: 2018-05-06 08:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-05-06 08:36 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-05-07 12:56 am (UTC)For example, when I get some candies (for example, M&Ms) I like to sort by color. Though usually that's so I can eat a set of one of each color at a time. And then when I run out of one color, I go with sets of the remaining colors.
I don't *have* to, but it's fun.
Or I'll take stuff like chex mix, and eat all of one kind of the components, then eat all of another etc. :-)
(no subject)
Date: 2018-05-07 04:39 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-05-07 01:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-05-07 01:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-05-08 01:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-05-07 04:38 am (UTC)Yes ...
Date: 2018-05-07 05:00 am (UTC)It also seems like a logical thing to offer at any event catering to neurovariant people. Designate one room for exploring new stims and lay out all kinds of crafts and stress toys for people to try.
Re: Yes ...
Date: 2018-05-07 02:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-05-07 02:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-05-07 02:16 pm (UTC)this likely explains the popularity of the "make your own Indian jewelry" booth the jeweler I was apprenticed to ran at Saturday Market lo these many years ago.
Basically we had a set of plexiglass bins in a U shape with a felt covered surface inside the U. Open end of the U was towards the customer.
Each bin had some sort of piece for Navaho(?) style jewelry. in it and a label with the price. Various silver beads, wire swirls, coral or turquoise cabs in mounts, etc.
You'd take out pieces, and try arranging them on the felt until you got a design you liked. Then we'd cut a base, silver solder things onto it, and silver solder that to the right sized ring. Or make it into a necklace or a broach.
Cost was by adding up the prices for the individual items. And yes the markup was sufficient to cover the ring & labor.
Sure, a lot of folks would just fiddle with pieces for a while and move on. But even they attracted other potential customers.
Heck, *we* would fiddle with pieces when things were slow. :-)
ps. This was back in the 70s so any potential for a patent is long gone. So if anyone wants to swipe the idea for themselves, feel free. I'd love to have pictures though.
pps. We had lids on the "bins" (more shallow trays) and they were all one unit. They were hinged on the outside side of the U. And we'd tape them closed securely when transporting. So it was easy to pack up.
Wow!
Date: 2018-05-08 08:46 am (UTC)Amazing and terrible together
Date: 2018-05-09 11:13 pm (UTC)