midnightinchicago
It’s a little late to be writing about a vacation I took over a year and a half ago, but then again, we didn’t have the MIC blog back then. Now that we have a blog, it seems only fitting that I should talk about things that have long passed but that impact on MIC and me.
In December of 2006, I acted as a tour guide for Elyse and her son Lewis – who as we all know has AS – when I took them out of their home country (Canada) and into mine (the US) for a long awaited and much needed vacation. Actually, Elyse and Lewis flew out of Toronto International into O’Hare and I took them around the U.S. from there, but all my grand talk of the U.S. was the impetus for getting them to fly into O’Hare. So, in a way, I was the reason they came to America. You get the picture, right?
The trip was pretty extensive. We went from Chicago to Mammoth Cave (where a then 11-year-old Lewis enlightened the Ex-Marine Drill Sergeant who was guiding our cave tour that the White House was burned to the ground by people coming down from Canada in 1812). Then it was off to Great Smoky Mountain National Park (TN), Diamond Cave near Mammoth Cave (KS), Granite City State Park (IL), Metropolis (IL) to see all things Superman (where Lewis again enlightened us that it took a Canadian to bring attention to truth, justice and the American way), Springfield (IL) where we saw Lincoln’s Tomb, up Route 66 and then to Starved Rock State Park (IL). And then Elyse and Lewis flew back home to Canada.
Somewhere in the midst of all, that we had started another Midnight In Chicago Art Competition that was going on in a suburb of Chicago. How that happened, only Elyse knows (she’s the powerhouse behind all of this).
When I come to Canada to visit Elyse and Lewis, it’s the same thing. We see a lot of interesting sights together (who would have thought Elyse knew so many neat places hidden in and around Peterborough?) but we also work hard on Midnight In Chicago.
I know, I know. Never mix business with pleasure … or so they say. What I have been finding out since Elyse started this initiative is that, though the work is hard, it’s very rewarding and sometimes moreso than a vacation could be.
- To see many artists congregated in an art venue for a unanimous and good purpose makes me feel good.
- To see yet another autism organization link up to one of our podcasts in order to spread the facts on autism makes me feel good.
- To connect and communicate with people and autism organizations who are all working hard to raise awareness and funds, as well as create services, for autism makes me feel good.
And so, while it is good to get away from people – and everything – every once in a while, sometimes getting as close as you can to people is the most rewarding thing.
That is what I have learned from my OWN culture and tourism initiative.
Co-Creator
