Aspie & His Grandmother

You might not know that those with Asperger's have freakishly good memories.  Brendan can hear something once or twice and has it in his mind.  So you can imagine some of our conversations.  He calls me on the phone regularly several times a week.  Then and when we're together, he teaches me routines he wants me to know.  These might be from a cartoon on the computer he watches, Sesame Street, a song, or who knows where and what.  He used to tell me something once or twice and expect me to recall it verbatim just the way he can until I've convinced him that not everyone has excellent memories like his and his mother's.  I also don't like memorizing things that aren't my idea. 

Now he breaks it down and has me repeat short phrases over and over and over until I get it right.  Drives me nuts!  I finally came up with something that won't help that much but is an effort at least.  I told him I don't have room in my mind to remember all these extra things he asks me to because my brain is almost full from all the years of things I have to remember.  I have to use the room I have for things I'll need to remember during the rest of my life.

It comes in handy that he has that memory because it's like having a nine-year-old Google with me.  His latest thing is to tell how Opry Mills Mall has changed since it was completely redone inside after the flood.  He goes through it store by store by restaurant by everything to say what was there and what replaced it.  Life is never dull with that kid!