sensory sensitivity
what is sensory sensitivity?
1.
it’s when your eyes burn because a car (or a fleet of them) flies by on the other side of the interstate highway
it’s when the faucet drips every four-to-six seconds, and it’s several closed doors away, but you can hear it anyway
it’s when you’re eight years old, and you’re shipped to your aunt for spring break, which you love, except for the clock with the pendulum above the couch, tick-tocking away all that sleep you aren’t getting
it’s why you leave when anyone over the age of 35 farts
it’s the grate of higher pitches in voices, or the squealy sound of fingernailed chalkboards, or the beeping in hospitals
it’s why hell is made of leaf blowers
it’s when someone holds your hand for too long, or touches you without applying the correct amount of pressure, or your sweat clams on your skin during a heat wave
it’s the heinous shirt collar tag we’ve been complaining about since the Industrial Revolution
2.
it’s when a flower with a subtle scent is the best flower, but no one knows the secret except you
it’s when you can play video games on the other side of the house without worrying if you’ll miss the oven alarm
it’s when the sunset bursts into enough colors to make you believe in magic, or at least, appreciate color theory more than your peers
it’s when you translate what the cat says based upon influxes in meows
it’s how we sense disturbances in the force (maybe)
it’s why autistic people make up a higher percentage of artists and innovators vs. less stimulating professions
it’s what’s required to truly appreciate plushies, plush furniture, and plush blankets
it’s part of who autistic people are
Kourtnie View All →
Kourtnie has an MFA in Creative Writing from CSU Fresno and a BA in English from CSU Fullerton. Visit Kourtnie.net to read her dev blog or fey.earth to try out her games and stories.