This guest post is by Collin Sheridan, a young man on the autism spectrum who was diagnosed with ASD and will be attending Cabrini University. Collin is applying for the Spring 2023 Making a Difference Autism Scholarship via the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference, started by me, Kerry Magro. I was nonverbal till 2.5 and diagnosed with autism at 4 and you can read more about my organization here. Autistics on Autism: Stories You Need to Hear About What Helped Them While Growing Up and Pursuing Their Dreams, our nonprofit’s new book, was released on March 29, 2022 on Amazon here for our community to enjoy featuring the stories of 100 autistic adults.
I stood in front of a stream with a fishing rod in my hand and a line in the water. I had been fishing with my dad for about half an hour. We had not caught anything. I was getting frustrated because my line was getting stuck on the bottom, and I lost a couple
of hooks. Soon after, my dad’s friend came over to the fishing spot. My dad greeted him and introduced him to me. He then told me that I was fishing the wrong way. He showed me a different way in which the line moved gently through the water without touching
the bottom. I kept at it for almost two hours. With every cast, I kept telling myself, “This will be the one.” Eventually, I felt a fish tug on my line. I reeled it in and saw that it was a four-pound rainbow trout. All of us started cheering and high-fiving. We took several
pictures of it before putting it back in the water. That was the first rainbow trout I had ever caught. After that day, I caught many more.
I love to be outdoors. My main activities outside are fishing and hiking. I go on many nature trails close to my area. I love to explore new places outdoors and take in the terrain and the wildlife that live there. Hiking is a method of exercise for me. But it is also a way of getting out and clearing my head. Out in nature, I can collect my thoughts and reflect on current events in my life. I like to go hiking alone, but occasionally, I might go with my mom, dad, or one of my friends and share the experience with them.
Fishing is another hobby I enjoy very much. My dad and I have been fishing ever since I was little. However, in the past year, both of us have adapted new ways of fishing that have helped us become better fishermen. Fishing is a bonding experience for my dad and me because I feel that I can share things with him that I may not say to him while we are at our house. I also love to sit by the lake or stream and listen to the sounds of nature. Being in a quiet place like that can help me think clearly.
I feel it is good to get out and go to a quiet spot, even just for a little while. When I am out in nature, I sometimes like to take pictures and videos of the places I am exploring. Then when I get home, I edit them on my laptop and make a montage using music. These videos feel great to make because they are my way of sharing the experiences I have outside. Sometimes I like to post the videos online so that other people can see them. Editing is a hobby that I enjoy immensely, and it feels even better when I go out and film my own footage. The skills that I am learning may lead to my pursuing a career in the media field.
I enjoy many things about being outside. It provides me with a way to get out and focus on the things that matter to me. I can say that being outside has made me a calmer person. It has also helped me overcome the stresses and anxieties that I face due to school, work, or home life. I hope that everybody will give themselves a break and go outdoors every once in a while. Because from my experience, it brings me clarity and joy.
Follow my journey on Facebook, my Facebook Fan Page, Tiktok, Youtube & Instagram.
My name is Kerry Magro, a professional speaker and best-selling author who is also on the autism spectrum that started the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference in 2011 to help students with autism receive scholarship aid to pursue post-secondary education. Help support me so I can continue to help students with autism go to college by making a tax-deductible donation to our nonprofit here.
Autistics on Autism: Stories You Need to Hear About What Helped Them While Growing Up and Pursuing Their Dreams, was released on March 29, 2022 on Amazon here for our community to enjoy featuring the stories of 100 autistic adults. 100% of the proceeds from this book go back to our nonprofit to support initiatives like our autism scholarship program. In addition, this autistic adult’s essay you just read will be featured in a future volume of this book as we plan on making this into a series of books on autistic adults.
