It only takes us 30 minutes to drive into our closest city, the beautiful York. We are so fortunate to live so close to such an historic city. Such a rich pedigree.
- It was founded by the Romans in 71AD,
- The Emperor Septimus Severus ruled the entire Roman Empire from York for 2 years,
- Constantine The Great was proclaimed Roman Emperor in York,
- York was captured by the Vikings and named Jorvik,
- Guy Fawkes (remember remember the fifth of November) was born in York,
- York Minster is one of the worlds largest Cathedrals and took 250 years to build. It is the largest Gothic Cathedral in Northern Europe,
- The Shambles is the best preserved ancient retail street in Europe dating back before 1086,
- Dick Turpin the famous Highwayman was executed in York,
- It has 3 miles of ancient City Walls still intact,
- It is regarded as one of the worlds most haunted cities with over 500 recorded ghosts,
- It has the worlds largest Railway Museum,
- While other Northern British Cities built their wealth on coal, steel and textiles – York made it on Chocolate and Sweets. Rowntree’s and Terrys.
That was supposed to be the end of the post. Trust me York is worth a visit. Basically it’s a really cool City. Especially for a young kid with aspergers whose thirst for facts just keeps growing. He just laps up the facts. When I started writing this post I asked our son to supply me with the information. I completely trust his memory and haven’t bothered to double check the facts.
So it’s so upsetting when he came out with the following Statement a couple of hours later:
“I don’t want to be stupid, I would love to be clever one day”
So off we went for another late night dog walk. I try to provide reassurance. Try to build up his confidence and restore his faith in his dreams. But it often feels like a short term fix. Applying a temporary bandage to the wound. A bandage only protects the wound it doesn’t treat it. As Extreme would sing – I need to find more than words. I need to raise my game…..
Much of what he needs, in the way of reassurance, can only be supplied by life. Your support helps greatly, but it will take many years of small successes, in order for him to realize how beautiful a soul he is.
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Your right thanks but it doesn’t stop the frustration.
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Yes!
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Thanks
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Tell him he is brilliant. This is from a lady that has been freelancing for 28 years.
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I will thank you.
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🌞
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😉
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Your son is brilliant and whatever teacher or classmate made him feel he wasn’t just better not cross paths with me. He’s got all your followers pulling for him and his interest in and astounding memory for facts of all types makes him a genius, in my book.
Many years ago I walked the walls of York, toured the cathedral and shopped the shambles. Favorite stop on that trip. A city like that should have good resources, including good schools with financial assistance for Aspbergerians. Hope you find such help and that the late night walks help restore his confidence.
Thinking of you both. Hang in there.
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Thank you so much. I will tell him this. Unfortunately a great history can’t protect a city and the surrounding fields from government cuts and neglect.
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We walked the walls. Loved York.
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Thank you, yes walking the walls is such a lovely thing to do. Great feeling of walking on history.
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Wow what a beautiful place.
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Thank you yes it is.
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It’s also a great place to run along the river and through the old streets when it’s not busy.
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Sounds like a wonderful city! I’ll have to put “Visit York” on my bucket list. 🙂
Your little boy sounds like a wonderful child with a wealth of knowledge. I wouldn’t have been able to remember all that, that’s for sure!
Wishing you the best. Take care.
-Beth
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It is a great city. Small roads so a bit crazy on the roads somedays. But very cool. He like many kids have astonishing talents which are largely untapped.
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York is a great sounding city to live near. Question: do you know if there are other Asperger diagnosed kids in your area? What might be of benefit is to see if he would hit it off with another kid with his diagnosis and see how smart and cool that kid is, he might realize how smart and cool he is.
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Yes it’s a great idea. We have tried him with one group but he couldn’t hit it off with any of the other kids and hated it.
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Fascinating place. Lucky to live so near. You must be an expert by now!
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He is. Me probably not quite as limited as and certainly not as blinkered as a I once was.
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Live and learn! 😄
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Very true. That would be a great blog name.
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Hmmm, you could change yours, or I can get it patent.😉
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I struggle to work the kettle never mind change my Blog Name. It’s all yours.
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Thanks. 😉
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My son has similar crisis of confidence. Here’s a fact for your son – the more intelligent you are, the more likely you are to doubt your own intelligence. It’s painful to hear your child put themselves down isn’t it? However it is comforting to for a child to know they can trust a parent enough to take those doubts to them.
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Thank him for the facts and tell him I have been to York, but didn’t know much of this. (I wonder who may have called him stupid)
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Schools are bear pits at the best of times. I will tell him this.
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My site is mostly of photographs taken my a late friend of my wife who travelled a lot. She took some photos of York in 1980 which you might enjoy – if only to try to identify the car models. I have not captioned it properly (you have to hover over the picture) which probably hides the fact that I have many wrong.
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Some lovely photographs of Yorkshire on your blog and it looks almost warm.
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Did you find the ones of York City. Not such a clement day. https://wdeod.com/2018/07/01/704-yorkshire-1980-york/
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No but just checked them out. Yes the cars have changed, the clothes have changed, the occasional shop has changed or gone, but the rest is unchanged.
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Thank you for sharing. Amazing.
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Cheers buddy.
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I think you meant to reply to wdeod? Choosing the right reply button can be tricky. And, the phone app has bugs.
But, CHEERS back, anyway! ❤
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It’s an age thing….
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Don’t discount hinky software.
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I won’t. Would discount myself though. Too many miles on the clock.
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I hear ya’. Me, too.
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York is an amazing city and you have an amazing son. We are all ignorant, but if you have a thirst to learn, you’ll soon become less ignorant than most and he sounds like a very intelligent person to me.
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You are so true. Thank you
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He IS clever. You show us that in your posts.
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He is just it’s so easy to have that drummed out of you by life, Society or School.
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You can do it. I have faith in you.
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Hey my friend, l know you have already eyeballed the ping back, but here is the official notification … just nominated you for a Liebster Award.
Rory
https://aguycalledbloke.blog/2019/01/07/liebster-award-nomination-12/
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Thank you. Very kind. Yes had eye balled it. Had the dreaded update interrupted day so will crack on.
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There’s never any rush from me my friend, take the time you need 🙂
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I like that approach to deadlines.
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Best way to be, bend like it Beckham 🙂
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We’ve been to York and visited the Minster, taking photos of the Heart of York window.
It’s a beautiful place. We had lunch in the Shambles and enjoyed our day immensely.
I lived on the outskirts of Bath for 8 years, and that is another city with a lot of history.
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Bath is lovely. Very friendly.
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Great post and fascinating facts! And he’s already such a clever boy, there’s isn’t a doubt about that.
I’ve nominated you … 🙂
https://momlifewithchiari.com/2019/01/07/the-liebster-award-4/
Ana
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Thank you good buddy.
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I am sorry – I hear those words too and it is always hard. The pictures are beautiful!
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Thank you my camera does not do the old city justice. It’s so tough. Have you found any stuff that helps?
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I haven’t – I do the same as you. Listen with the helpless feeling and give a hug, or watch TV with him. Just so he knows I am there.
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That’s the best way. Thanks. Take care.
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I wanna come to York. I’ve never been outside the US. *sigh* LOVED the history lesson. Tell him I said so.
Your reassurance when he questions…he will remember that as he ages. You are giving him a solid foundation even if he is unsure. He is making his way with your kind guidance. That is all a Dad can do…love & guide.
Two Liebster Awards and nearly 1,000 followers. You are guiding us all.
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Cheers. Yes places like York and Bath and Edinburgh are so worth a stay.
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I used to live near York and loved it. There’s so much to learn and explore.
It must be so tough to hear that, especially when you see all the ways that your son is smart and I imagine knows way more than others in his class about a whole range of things. School can be a difficult place – measuring everyone with the same criteria and expectations about what students should be trying to achieve. I’m sorry he’s having such a hard time with it.
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Thank you for your concern. It is tough and it really shouldn’t be that way.
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Funnily enough, I was in York for the first time about six weeks ago. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful; and being a bit blonde with a penchant for shops, I just loved the little narrow lanes with its mix of independents and regular chains. But more importantly, I loved the people. It reminded me of living in Glasgow which of course is incredibly gritty and extreme, but the Glaswegians are the most fantastic people. Friendly and open whilst calling a spade a spade. I’m so glad I’ve found your blog … seems like I have a lot of reading to do! Katie
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It is a beautiful city. It’s also quite small so most things are quite close together. Like you I really like Glasgow. Been about 5 times and unfortunately it’s poured down each time. But still a great place.
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Yes, that is the one downside! If it’s not raining, it’s about to.
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And wow is it just the coldest rain.
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Yup!
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OH MY GOSH CHILD YOU ARE NOT STUPID.
But okay. I get the kid mindset. There is a difference between street smarts and book smarts, being smart and being clever.
Tell your kid that anyone who can get an adult to eat that many god-awful every flavored beans over multiple days IS clever. Anyone who can handle a falcon without flinching IS clever. Anyone who cares so deeply about the world IS clever.
So there. A random lady on the other side of the world says so. x
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And the random lady is always correct. I’ve read this to him and he smiled. Thank you so much. xx
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Always welcome, Friend. xxxxx
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So fascinating! I never knew any of this about York! I learned a lot here! 😀
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Thank you for reading this.
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You’re very welcome 🙂
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