Tales of Woe and Whoa!: True Stories That Will Make You Laugh, Cry, and Sigh

By Leigh Gray

Tales of Woe and Whoa! is a collection of true-life experiences refl ecting Leigh Grays art of living as a man with Aspergers Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514483381

Leigh Gray

Leigh Gray taught English as a second language (ESL) in New York City for twenty-six years. Now happily retired, he enjoys travelling and being outdoors. The stories in this book (his second) were produced in a creative writing class in 2016. Leigh can be reached at [e-mail].

Book preview

A CHILDHOOD WITH A MYSTERIOUS TWIST

Do you ever wonder if your childhood was all it was supposed to be? The magic of childhood is well-known, but in my case I would have preferred to make my childhood disappear.

It’s not that I was born with cerebral palsy. Nor is it that I am the survivor of a pair of premature twins. There’s more to the story than that—much more. Somehow, I always felt different from my peers but I never could put my finger on why. It was as if I was an outcast. Most people saw a brainy, quiet kid with potential. However, my social skills never quite made the grade. While other kids were busy with dating and other rites of passage, I buried myself in books. I felt safe when engrossed in reading or studying. High school graduation came and went and I still felt like I missed out on the social circuit.

The pattern continued in college. I avoided socializing, choosing instead to excel in academics. I studied so much that I wore out my textbooks. The sport teams didn’t mean anything nor did the parties. I was too busy just trying to survive. My grades were good and I applied for a student internship in Washington, D.C. for my senior year. Lobbying on Capitol Hill was a great way to round out my college years. I surprised myself and even formed some close friendships.

I came home and did some soul-searching, trying to figure out my next move. I went to work in the family business, a health food store my mom started in 1971. We sold the business in 2010, but the building is still in the family.

My next opportunity appeared out of nowhere. I was in Mexico visiting friends when I got a phone call. A federal grant I had applied for was approved. I was going to be trained to become a bilingual special education teacher.

Fairfield University was a short commute from my parent’s house. My first years in the classroom were grueling but they sure helped me develop perseverance. I was now in my mid-twenties. I made a decision to move to New York once I earned my master’s degree.

My curiosity about never fitting in was peaking. I knew that I would find the answer in The Big Apple. I got a job in translation to initially support myself. Visits to neurologists for brain scans turned up nothing. I began to see a psychologist but that, too, led nowhere.

I decided to do some research on my own. I came across an article in an educational journal. It talked about a form of autism known as Asperger Syndrome. People with Asperger Syndrome report being socially uncomfortable, and feeling as though they live in their own private world. Bells started clanging in my head. The article described my childhood experiences with laser-sharp precision.

Technology had come a long way since I was a kid. We now have the world in our hands with the Internet. I logged on and searched. Could this be the answer!? I knew that if I didn’t find an answer in New York, one didn’t exist. One day, my effort paid off. I found a physician whose practice is devoted to Asperger Syndrome.

I took a risk and made an appointment. It is as they say,Leap and the net will appear. I met with Dr. Richard Porter