Coming of Age

I am fortunate for many things in my life, not the least of which is a job I genuinely enjoy and which allows me to live a life I have become sort of passively comfortable with.

Every once in a while, though, that job smacks me in the face and reminds me of the good "we" are doing beyond our hallowed, 160-year-old, New England conservative walls...

One of those times is now.

I had the honor this week of viewing a sneak peek of a production that my company co-sponsored with public television. And I'm here to tell you: You must see it.

Tonight at 9 p.m., our local PBS station - WBGY in Springfield - will be airing a documentary entitled "Autism: Coming of Age." You'll learn about three men who, solely by virtue of their chronolgoical age, are aging out of the system America has put in place to help them.

We hear a lot about Gen X- and Y-ers and Baby Boomers and the impact they have on society, the marketplace, the workforce, etc.  But, did you know that in 10 to 15 years, 800,000 disabled children will "age out of" the system?  That means that they and their families will be ineligable for the supports and services that have allowed them to function in typical school and residential settings.

I remember being so confused when I was 18, heading out into the "real world." I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to be when I "grew up," but I knew I wanted to have an independent life of mine own, doing things I enjoyed, with people I connected with. And I know my mother wanted the same thing for me.

I can't help but imagine how Dan and Dougie and Tomas and their families must feel.

Please take an hour to watch - I don't think you'll be disappointed.