The Great British Summer. As we fast approach the longest day our paths are becoming increasingly flooded. Not sure we have seen the sun in June yet. Plus if it’s summer why have we got the heating on full blast….

I walk (or swim) down this path most days. When I was younger I hated walking or running down the same routes. Always had to find new paths, new places to explore. Now it’s a different world. I’ve changed. Maybe I’m just broken. I repeatedly walk the same routes. I never venture far. It almost feels like this is my little world now. I’m not really wanted or needed outside of these boundaries. So I pace the same paths making sure the outside world doesn’t encroach here. Doing the same thing reduces anxiety. It’s a defence mechanism. It’s probably how I survive.

Our Son likes doing the same thing. He becomes obsessive about certain things. Repetition is king. I’ve talked with him about it. He doesn’t see it as an anxiety thing. For him it’s enjoyment. It’s who he is. Take movies as an example. We hardly watch any TV now but we do watch a lot of movies. Saturday night is when we match a new movie. During the rest of the week Son likes to repeatedly watch a really small list of movies.

Thor

Thor – The Dark World

Thor – Ragnarok

The Avengers

Guardians of the Galaxy (fast forwarding the first few minutes)

Captain America – Winter Soldier

Sherlock Holmes x 2 – the Robert Downey Jr ones

Fantastic Mr Fox

ScoobyDoo – Frankencreepy

Pirates of the Caribbean

Jumanji – Welcome to the Jungle

To be fair it’s not a static list. New ones can be added like Avengers End Game and Peter Rabbit.

With his bad hand he is coming back from school and just resting. That means it’s extended movie time. We have had both Sherlock Holmes movies basically on repeat for the last week. Since Saturday we have seen both movies 5 times. That type of repetitive behaviour is common place here. I remember one consultant wanting to deal with this as an OCD problem. Fortunately we didn’t follow his advice. This fits firmly within the Autistic Repetitive/obsessive realm. As such our son is very comfortable with this. He finds great comfort and enjoyment from it. It’s not a mental health disorder that is somehow treated away – it’s a lifelong personality trait

When I asked him about watching the same movies again and again he said

“I enjoy these movies more than seeing different ones. I am safe in the these worlds. I can dream without fear. I see new small details every time I watch them. The characters are friends. The hero’s never fail.”

So we watch Sherlock Holmes and a Game of Shadows. Mycroft (Stephen Fry) delivers the immortal line.

The two countries shall remain unnamed but I can tell you they speak French and German.

Son laughs until tears roll down his face. Movies are great especially the ones that make the repetitive list.

64 thoughts on “Repeating movies”

  3. He is who he is, and he has found his comfort zone. I’m glad he has you to keep away the idiots who would change him into what they think he should be instead of letting him be who he is. Repetition? Nothing wrong with that … I think most of us take comfort in routine.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  5. It’s a strange world we live in. When an autistic has a special interest, it’s considered to be an autistic trait, OCD or in some other negative way, and he/she must be encouraged to pursue wider interests. When a neurotypical has a special interest, it’s considered a hobby and is encouraged.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  7. Nobody is an expert on your son except your son – I applaud you as a parent, but more so as a human being with a lot of understanding and compassion. We are all creatures of habit in one way or another – and if not why do we have to sit in judgement of those who are.

    Sometimes when we’ve been dealing with a lot it is perfectly human to want to narrow our world into something understandable – I tend to crawl into my proverbial cave to heal. Only once I feel strong again (and safe) do I venture back out into the wider world. I think you’re doing such an awesome job with your son. And I applaud you for sharing your experiences and thoughts – that takes grit and courage. God bless both of you.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. I applaud you for watching less television, although with a degree of curiosity given the theme of this post? If your TV is anything like we get here (almost entirely a load of rubbish) it is nothing if not repetitive. One government-funded channel recently repeated a movie – not an uncommon thing lately with the same movie frequently being shown in successive weeks or even the same week, but this time they repeated The Fifth Element (which i do actually quite like!) on the same day! SIX TIMES IN A ROW!!!

    This was not a mistake – they advertised it in a printed guide a week before.

    Why are my taxes paying for this kind of pathetically weak TV programming?? Was someone actually paid to make this ‘decision’?? can i have that job please – i’d be bloody brilliant at it, i reckon.

    Could your son watch the same film 6 times without even a toilet break??

    Given what you and your son have experienced and are still having to come to terms with in your lives, the need for certainty and familiarity and an aversion to situations where the outcomes may involve risk of pain or hurt are fully understandable. There are very few of us who would not like to live a life with no pain, no risk and to be able to be comfortable as often as is possible…

    … if only the rest of the world would see it our way and just co-operate! 😦

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. Our equivalent ( ABC ) is currently being besieged by our Government, constantly having to work on less budget funding, cutting programming and being harangued for ‘negative’ reporting of Government and the farce they are running our country with.

        Their ‘independence’ is being decimated by this Government with frequent interference and even a prime ministerial appointment of the new CEO (who is supposed to be elected from a list prepared by an independent panel of expert recruiters – the PM ditched the list entirely for his pick!) as is it seems yours.

        This week our governments Federal Police raided the broadcasters head office and spent 9 hours collecting ‘evidence’ concerning a report that was aired 27 months ago! ( a leaked story about Australian troops committing war crimes in 2009 in Afghanistan).

        (All) Our freedoms are being eroded by our leaders one step at a time. 😦

        Liked by 3 people

      3. We get to decide what is true for us. We get to decide if we want to be merely sheep who follow the ‘Truth’ of those with money and power, or if we wish to be our own self and find where the real Truth lies.

        These days most ‘truths’ are based upon lies and misunderstandings!

        It’s a Divide and Conquer thing. Can be quite effective if you get sucked into it. 😦

        Liked by 1 person

      7. And pre-announced the decision and had it printed in a quarter of a million issues of a TV guide!!

        For whatever reason – the idiots intended to do it on purpose!!! 🤡 🤪

        Liked by 1 person

  13. I don’t know how many years I have not watched TV now. Some people find it strange?Why? There is crap on worth paying for it and I can’t afford it anyway. But if I could, it still be no TV. I just watch DVD’s on my computer. I can have movie nights when I want.
    I have known to watch some DVD’s over and over again, because I have enjoyed them that much and yes, I agree with your son, you see new things by watching again, that you didn’t before.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  14. It is amazing how much information we miss on our paths through life. Putting our journey on repetitive cycle is not necessarily a bad thing… After all, that is the major message from Buddhism and its Karmic cycle. If we haven’t learned anything, we are destined to go on ‘repeat mode’ without our own knowledge of it. Better to be aware, and I think you and your son are ‘very aware!’

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  15. We have that too – the need for the same thing. I don’t mind it either USUALLY. Right now he has figured out how to cast his YouTube videos to the TV. And he watches the same ones all day long. I miss some of his movies!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  17. He sounds like he and my sons have similar tastes in movies! Well, and me. I LOVE the Downey Sherlock Holmes.

    Some related ones we love are “Ender’s Game,” the newer “Tron,” and “UHF.” You know, to introduce on New Movie Night. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  19. Repetition breeds familiarity…which breeds comfort. We all need a little comfort as the world goes completely bonkers.

    Television, here, is complete garbage…news included. I prefer to keep it off and read. Or walk. Or cook. Or blog. Or do yoga…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  21. YES. Routine is king, it really is. They know what’s coming, and that makes it possible to relax and be calm without fears. Like you said, the key is to utilize routine whenever possible, and then allowing the occasional new thing into the mix. A little new isn’t nearly as scary as a whole day of new. Hugs from Wisconsin! xxxxx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      3. I will. Now I’m just really, REALLY tired–likely last week catching up with me. But yes, we could be worse.
        Aaaand-I just saw a little bunny hop by my window playing hope-thru with our deck steps.
        Life’s not so bad. 🙂 xxxxxx

        Liked by 1 person

      7. And the planets shall align, and the great Milky Way Glass shall spill upon the cosmos, and all the Quagar children shall come tralumphing along with their meteoric cookies to sop it all up…

        Like

Leave a comment