Tag Archives: Lynn Messing

LYNN MESSING: The Grocery Store Outing — Two Perspectives

Artistic, Submissions, , ,

Mother’s thoughts: Why must you melt down every time we come to the grocery store? I hate autism.

Son’s thoughts on experiencing sensory overload: Lights on, off, on, off, on off. Noise. People move. Many people. Stuff. Bright colors. Too much! Eyes hurt. Ears hurt. Head hurts. No. NO. NO!!!

Lynn Messing is the mother of a young man with autism. At some point in his youth she came to realize the reason he hated grocery store outings was that he felt his senses were being assaulted by the flickering fluorescent lights, the bright colours, movements, noises and scents. She then tried to make all grocery store runs when the stores were relatively empty and to make them as quick as possible. She submitted this story this month in honor of World Autism Awareness/Acceptance Day which takes place on April 2nd.

LYNN MESSING: The Prayer of the Sailor’s Wife

Adventure, Submissions, Touching, , , ,

The sea sings of shores distant, of treasures old and lands new. I wonder where you are, when you’ll return. You, who heard not my pleading o’er the ocean’s siren song.

May God preserve you from storms and selkies, pirates and perils, and may He return you safe to me.

Lynn Messing is a landlubber who loves every second of her near-annual visits to the shore and who wishes she could spend more time there.