To boldly go...

I've just finished watching an episode of "Star Trek: Voyager" that really made me think. 

For those that don't know, "Voyager" is like any other Star Trek but based in the Delta Quadrant (space but a long long long long way from earth). It has all the species you'd expect, Klingons, Bejorans, Humans, Vulcans and more because the really were seeking out new worlds but completely by accident. 

Anyway, there is a married couple on Voyager (Lieutenants Tom Paris and B'elanna Torres) and in this episode (S7:E11) they find out they are expecting a child. When it becomes apparent that the foetus is showing genetic traits which the mother find uncomfortable, chaos ensues. To cut a long story short, Torres is 1/2 Klingon and she found life very difficult because of that. Constant bullying, her father leaving, not liking certain things about herself etc, and as the episode went on it became apparent that she wants to delete that particular part of her child (The can do that in the future, you know...) so they would be all human and have an easier life than she'd had. The whole episode was a battle between different parties with different views but ultimately ended with Paris stating that he would never leave and loved them no matter what. They then chose to not change the child's genetic code and everything went back to normal. 

I know that was quite the ramble, but I can't help be feel that this resonated with me. When I look back at my difficulties in life, they almost always come back to autism. As a child and adolescent if someone had told me of a genetic re-sequencing procedure, I may have been tempted. But as I've got older, I have embraced my autism and everything that comes with it. The only reason I didn't embrace my autism in the first place was because of other people, pretty much like B'elanna Torres and her Klingon DNA. If I hadn't been bullied for being different I don't think it would have been an issue, I would have just carried on not knowing that I was any different at all. 

Now, in the case of my son, I definitely know how I feel. I wouldn't change him for the world. I would much rather fight for acceptance than make him feel like he should have been born different and that's where me and B'elanna differ. My son is wonderful just the way he is. The only reason we have clashes or issues is because we're family and that's what family do. Yeah, it's hard but I wouldn't change it. 

Also, looking back, I don't think I would change a thing about me either. I owe my autism for a lot of wonderful things in my life. My music, my entrepreneurial skills, my family loyalty, so many good things.  Yes, there are bad things, but not enough to take away something that makes up my personality. 

I'm so glad that B'elanna and Tom made the right choice.