Somewhere...

"There's a place for us...somewhere, a place for us..."

Leonard Bernstein is one of my most favorite American composers. His vast expanse of expression...from the popular to the highly intellectual...his music always evokes emotion and mission. One of his most famous works is the musical WEST SIDE STORY. It is a modern telling of an ancient tale, ROMEO & JULIET. Many famous songs actually come from this treasure of American Musical Theatre. One such song is SOMEWHERE. Recently, our local symphony orchestra performed the SYMPHONIC DANCES FROM WEST SIDE STORY. As I sat and listened to the complex rhythms and intricate harmonies, I found myself reflecting on the possibility that the composer may be an "Aspie Kid." Now, I have no physical data concerning Bernstein, I was just marveling at his ability to shape the music to fit his needs, as many Aspie's are able to accomplish...the shaping of a medium to match their mental ability.

I then started just listening to the words in my head...
"There's a place for us, somewhere, a place for us..."
Is there a place, a time, a person?
I hope and pray that during the lifetimes of my sons, there will be a place and a time and a person with whom to share the beauty of life, love, and art. A place and time when differences are seen as exactly what they are...the spice of life, rather than the brine that must be discarded.

I personally felt the sting of the later instance this weekend. Our oldest Aspie son is in High School. This weekend was their Homecoming Dance...and although he actually got up the nerve to ask  a few girls out, none of them accepted. Now, he will not tell you that this upset him....he went to a football game instead. But, I wish he could have gone to the dance...just so that he could feel like everyone else. Just so that he could feel that this was his place...and his time.

But I know that will come.
"SOMEDAY...SOMEWHERE..."
"We'll find a new way of living...we'll find the way that's forgiving...somewhere..."