Contradiction

AN Introduction is to introduce people, but you already know us; it is this blog that is new, so a contradiction seems in order. If that seems vaguely familiar or thoroughly obscure, Look here. Go ahead. I'll wait. Better?

Now why the blog? We'd each thought of starting a blog before, but none of us felt he or she would have enough to say to post at regular intervals, and none of us had the time or the inclination to write fluff we didn't care about just to meet an arbitrary deadline. And we hate checking a blog every day for weeks and finding nothing new, then coming back after a relatively short absence and being buried in new posts.

We'll try to keep things slow and steady here, but if you follow more than one blog—I stopped counting at twenty—I'd suggest you use a reader. Just check one site each time you check your email, and it tells you which of your blogs have new posts, and pulls up only the new material for your perusal. I use Google Reader:

The name? I think it was Mama Bear's idea.

Mama Bear is just what she sounds like; soft and cuddly, but don't tell her how to raise her cubs! She is loving and tender with her cubs, but ready with a good smack when they need it. She knows all the best places to find—well, just about everything.

Brother Bear is curious, playful, and full of mischief. He likes a good tussle, whether physical or verbal. Fiercely loyal to his family, he pursues justice with equal tenacity. He will do the Right Thing at all costs, and expects the same of everyone else.

So why Goldilocks?

First, let me explain that he is all-boy, and the name is not an insult. Most boys and men look better with short hair. Although many try growing long hair, few look good in it. He does. Picture Michael the Archangel with drawn sword. Which is good, because his head is kind of lumpy. And of course his hair is yellow.

Second, he has Sensory Integration Dysfunction, also known as Sensory Processing Disorder. If this disorder sounds confusing, it is. Both to him and to those who live with and care for him. Put simply, almost every experience is "too much" or "too little"; almost nothing is "just right".

Third, he has autism, which makes it difficult for him to understand socially appropriate behaviors. He eats other people's food. He breaks things. He has been known, rarely, but on more than one occasion, to wander into other people's homes. There are other parallels, which will make future posts.

I'm a curmudgeonly type, tending to hold an odd collection of unpopular opinions. If this were only my blog, it would probably be called Something to Offend Everyone. Just give me plenty to eat, and a warm, dry cave, and leave me alone. If that bothers you, get over it. If that sounds just the way a bear should be, thank you. Now go away.