Recharging my thoughts over G20 weekend.

Lennox Head Beach, NSW, Australia 

On both Friday and Saturday nights, I managed to get away from the stresses of Brisbane and escape to the Ballina for the long weekend.  It was good to get to the beach, do some cooking, bike riding, and walking.  Despite having a few panic attacks on the way down while driving, I managed to control the anxiety with some deep breathing exercises.  Also the fold up bike had a few issues with the handle bars becoming lose which I managed to get fixed.  I also met up with Stefanie Evans the Director of Asperger Services Australia for coffee and both Stefanie and myself spoke with Ben Wilshire about progress and what still needs to happen concerning Autism.

Yesterday I received an email from "The Lab" concerning their opening up on the Gold Coast.  I am interested in helping out even if it means I have to drive from Brisbane to Varsity Lakes a few Saturdays a month. I may even decide to catch the train down so that I can lend my services as best as possible to help this initiative get off the ground.  I will wait until early next year to find out whether or not my services may be required.  Hopefully I can assist in making progress?

I have to be honest in that I have been feeling worn down and deflated of late. Getting assistance from anyone has proven difficult and I just feel like I am the captain of my own ship at the moment.  I am getting counselling at UQ Psychology Clinic which is helping me on some strategies. I prefer to find techniques more so than using medication.  I believe that therapy is far more effective rather than relying on doctors and specialists who I don't fully trust when it comes to medication and health matters.  Just finding a doctor who understands Autism is a real challenge.  

In relation to conference speaking, I feel my place is more in doing work in the background.  I would rather go at my own pace in finding ways to help raise awareness of Autism in adults.  I would also like to up skill my abilities but may look at courses I can do in my own time should I want to expand on my own credentials.  Perhaps I could even write another book sometime in the future?  This wouldn't happen though at the moment as I feel burnt out.  I am encouraging other adults to take on an advocacy role. Ben Wilshire is doing a lot of work in trying to create a trust and or charity.  I am helping Ben with advice where I can.  

In the meantime, I would like to take the opportunity of saying that I wish the G20 had some focus on disability.  We can only hope that should the targets and objectives be met that in time, it may offer practical ways of allowing disability participation within employment?  We can only hope?