Give me a high function obsessive-compulsive Aspergers person the next time I go to pick blueberries and blackberries. I have gradually come to the conclusion that my father was high function Aspergers. Once set on a task he worked non stop. At age 80 he was complaining that he could no longer work with me an 8 hour day on renovating projects.
I took care of my late husband as he was failing with Alzheimers. I have a hypothesis that there was a biological advantage to the Alzheimers gene in primative, especially northern, societies. Before it got really bad he passed through a phase where when he got hungry he would leave the house and I would have to run after him to bring him back as by that time he could no longer find his way home. I had to bring him into the kitchen as I quickly fixed food and feed him nibbles so he wouldn’t get up and try to leave. I had read stories about how elderly Indians during starving times would wander off into the woods and die so there was more food for the tribe. I now wonder if they were in the middle stages of Alzheimers, and just woke up at night hungry and went off looking for food and couldn’t find their way home again. This would have a survival advantage for their children and grandchildren.
At that stage I found that my husband could still do useful things if they were a continuous action like sweeping the sidewalk. I imagine that things like knapping flint arrows, or weaving baskets, or molding pottery would be similar. He could also do things if he was asked, like carry grocery bags. He loved to work and we built a small cabin in the country. We had no power there. I would start a saw cut in a timber and he would finish it for me. He would hold wood in position while I hammered. The only time I had a problem was when I was repairing the roof, and since he could not see me he kept trying to walk off with the ladder;-). Caring for someone with Autism or Alzheimer’s is a trial, but there are positive things that can be done if we look carefully.
What a great story, thanks!
Another example is extreme dental dysplasia ~ particularly when it's associated with missing teeth (that just never came in).
Turning your premolars sideways gives you an extra cutting edge for eating lots of raw meat ~ losing those teeth lets them turn easily, and also frees up some space so all your others can turn their best edge the most advantageous way.
The Sa'ami, who've been living all the way up to the Arctic for the last 14,000 years have an 18% incidence of the situation where teeth just don't come in.
God Bless You. Beautiful stories. God sent you a message and you understood. I believe many do not and that is really sad.
Thanks gleeaikin.
I haven’t heard that theory before. It’s somthing to think about. Thanks. And thanks for the inspiring example of making the most of what you are given.