the world is a vast place, and the internet is just one means of navigating it.

i was more or less raised by the internet; the real world was filled with too many unspoken rules for an undiagnosed autistic child like myself. people were complicated, social rules were complicated, and figuring out which clothes 'matched' was an absolute nightmare.

i did not have rapport with most of my peers growing up. they lived a world away from me—and that was fine by me. i could speak to other outliers like myself online: people who understood more than their peers, and people who understood far less. people who saw and heard things a different way, who navigated their lives diversely. people who felt othered in the same ways that i did.

in my time, i've met brilliant people, and said a few goodbyes. i've seen so many different perspectives, and individuals who have broadened my worldview. i have had my reality shattered, and i have been pieced back together. i have loved, i have lost.

but most importantly, i found a web version of kidpix and it's the single most important thing to have ever happened to me.