[Music]
my name is Cole and over the next few
minutes I’m going to teach you that it’s
okay to be different since the young age
I’ve worn different colored socks and
two different shoes why because I am
unique a stand out from the crowd
I feel best when I am being me this
summer a funny thing happened I was in a
bookstore with my mom when I realized
everyone was strangely quiet and so I
did what needed to be done I started
saying as a joke
my mom pointed to a book and said hey
cool this book is for you I pulled it
out and read the cover here’s what it
said you’re weird
a creative journal for misfits oddballs
and anyone else who’s uniquely awesome
it’s the best book ever
it tells everyone it’s cool to be
different today I’m going to tell you
about a friendship of mine that is a
little different than you might expect
this is one of my best friends Steven he
is the happiest person I know
Steven is 44 years old and has autism
let me start by explaining how we became
special friends when my mom was just 13
years old she was in the high school
cafeteria about to have lunch with her
friends then she passed a table of kids
to special needs
Steven was a boy at that table he showed
it out hey what’s your name come sit
with me
my mom sat down and in that moment a
special friendship began Steven asked my
mom three questions he wanted to know
what she was having for lunch her phone
number and if they could be friends for
40 years
as my mom gave him her phone number and
said yes he clapped with excitement and
said I will call you every day ever
since that day in 1988 he has kept his
promise and called our house every
single day when I was born Stephen was a
special part of our family and I’ve
grown up calling him uncle Stephen
Stephen is included in family dinners he
comes to my soccer games he loves
watching movies with us and every couple
of weeks he has a sleepover Stephen has
had autism his whole life
watch ISM spectrum disorder refers to a
range of conditions characterized by
challenges with social skills repetitive
behaviors speech and nonverbal
communications as well as by unique
strengths and differences my friend
Stephen is not able to drive a car but
he is able to memorize every phone
number he has ever heard there is no
cure for autism but I think Stephen is
perfect the way he is one of my favorite
memories with Stephen is whenever a fire
truck passes us he showed so when I grew
up I want to be a fire truck
that always makes me smile he likes the
idea of being a fireman but he loves the
idea of being a firetruck
another thing that always makes me laugh
is how much he likes to eat have you
ever met someone who can eat a steak a
face of pizza french fries apple pie ice
cream and they are still starving while
Stephen eats all that almost every time
we see him finally one of my favorite
memories with Stephen is when we play
hide and seek he always hides in the
closets I loved playing hide and seek
with Stephen it always makes me smile
but not just me he makes everyone smile
I don’t think we need to care for autism
just like we don’t need to care for
freckles autism is not a disease just
like brown hair isn’t a disease you
don’t need to fix something that isn’t
broken I look up to my uncle Stephen as
he is the happiest person I know Stephen
doesn’t try to be like anyone else he is
exactly who he was meant to be imagine a
world where we all live like Stephen
find out what makes you different don’t
be afraid to stand out wake up jump out
of bed and be exactly who you are
we are all a little different and that’s
awesome thank you
[Applause]
[Music]
my name is Cole and over the next few
minutes I’m going to teach you that it’s
okay to be different since the young age
I’ve worn different colored socks and
two different shoes why because I am
unique a stand out from the crowd
I feel best when I am being me this
summer a funny thing happened I was in a
bookstore with my mom when I realized
everyone was strangely quiet and so I
did what needed to be done I started
saying as a joke
my mom pointed to a book and said hey
cool this book is for you I pulled it
out and read the cover here’s what it
said you’re weird
a creative journal for misfits oddballs
and anyone else who’s uniquely awesome
it’s the best book ever
it tells everyone it’s cool to be
different today I’m going to tell you
about a friendship of mine that is a
little different than you might expect
this is one of my best friends Steven he
is the happiest person I know
Steven is 44 years old and has autism
let me start by explaining how we became
special friends when my mom was just 13
years old she was in the high school
cafeteria about to have lunch with her
friends then she passed a table of kids
to special needs
Steven was a boy at that table he showed
it out hey what’s your name come sit
with me
my mom sat down and in that moment a
special friendship began Steven asked my
mom three questions he wanted to know
what she was having for lunch her phone
number and if they could be friends for
40 years
as my mom gave him her phone number and
said yes he clapped with excitement and
said I will call you every day ever
since that day in 1988 he has kept his
promise and called our house every
single day when I was born Stephen was a
special part of our family and I’ve
grown up calling him uncle Stephen
Stephen is included in family dinners he
comes to my soccer games he loves
watching movies with us and every couple
of weeks he has a sleepover Stephen has
had autism his whole life
watch ISM spectrum disorder refers to a
range of conditions characterized by
challenges with social skills repetitive
behaviors speech and nonverbal
communications as well as by unique
strengths and differences my friend
Stephen is not able to drive a car but
he is able to memorize every phone
number he has ever heard there is no
cure for autism but I think Stephen is
perfect the way he is one of my favorite
memories with Stephen is whenever a fire
truck passes us he showed so when I grew
up I want to be a fire truck
that always makes me smile he likes the
idea of being a fireman but he loves the
idea of being a firetruck
another thing that always makes me laugh
is how much he likes to eat have you
ever met someone who can eat a steak a
face of pizza french fries apple pie ice
cream and they are still starving while
Stephen eats all that almost every time
we see him finally one of my favorite
memories with Stephen is when we play
hide and seek he always hides in the
closets I loved playing hide and seek
with Stephen it always makes me smile
but not just me he makes everyone smile
I don’t think we need to care for autism
just like we don’t need to care for
freckles autism is not a disease just
like brown hair isn’t a disease you
don’t need to fix something that isn’t
broken I look up to my uncle Stephen as
he is the happiest person I know Stephen
doesn’t try to be like anyone else he is
exactly who he was meant to be imagine a
world where we all live like Stephen
find out what makes you different don’t
be afraid to stand out wake up jump out
of bed and be exactly who you are
we are all a little different and that’s
awesome thank you
[Applause]
[Music]
Please follow and like us: