So Ryan—my boss here at O’Reilly Auto Parts—asked me to take on the new Welcome Center planogram for the front of the store. Cool, no problem. I pulled all the old merchandise off, got the new stock up on the shelves, and even swapped out all the price labels like a pro. Then came the sales labels. Cue ominous music. Here’s the thing: on the second shelf, there’s only space for four long sales labels total. But surprise! There are more than four different products on that shelf. So now the sales labels are covering up the price labels, which makes zero sense and is completely messing with my OCD and anxiety. It’s like: how do you expect me to finish this when my brain is screaming at me that the layout is wrong, the labels don’t match the products, and everything is visually lying to the customers? Miranda—being the wonderful human she is—noticed I was spiraling and told me to go sit down in the office and close the door. I appreciated that, I really did. But the spiral was already spi...

Some pain doesn’t have neat language. Some days, all I can do is write through the wreckage—through the sensory overload, the internal storms, the silent battles no one sees. This poem came from one of those days. The kind where everything hurts louder, and my mind feels like it’s fighting itself just to exist. But even in that chaos… I’m still here. --- Still I Stand by Caleb The ground beneath me shatters, screams— Ripping through the seams of dreams. Lights like knives pierce through my skin, Noise like thunder tearing within. I’m fracturing, splintered, bleeding raw— A storm that’s clawing every flaw. I want to vanish, drown, combust— In endless darkness, in broken trust. My mind’s a cage of jagged glass, Reflections shattered, none to grasp. Even I can’t map this hell, A prison built in silence, swell. Some days the noise will never cease, A brutal war with no release. Other days, a wildfire rips my soul, Devouring every fragile whole. I want to scream—rip out my core, Escape this...

There are days when words just stop working. June 21st was one of those days. I was in full autistic shutdown—silent, still, and nonverbal. My body couldn’t take anymore, and neither could my mind. I wasn’t trying to be dramatic or distant. I just... couldn’t speak. And the world didn’t pause to let me catch up. It kept spinning. But here’s what people don’t always see: silence doesn’t mean nothing is happening. Inside, everything was loud. My thoughts were racing, my body buzzing. I was fighting to stay grounded while drowning in sensory overload, stress, and emotional exhaustion. It lasted nearly two days. Then something beautiful happened. On June 23rd, around 3 PM, I laughed. Really laughed. My mom was getting on to my niece Haley, and the face she made? Priceless. I was shaking from holding in the laughter. My niece Destiny saw me and bolted into the hallway. I followed—and we both collapsed in laughter. I couldn’t move. I almost peed myself. We got busted, of course. My mom overh...

🌀 When You’re Not Supposed to Laugh… But Your Autistic Brain Says LOL Anyway 🌀 That time I nearly laughed myself into another dimension Date: June 23, 2025 Posted by: Caleb Intro: There are moments in life that hit you so sideways with laughter, you forget everything else—where you are, what’s happening, and sometimes even how to function. If you're autistic like me, that kind of laughter doesn’t just sneak up—it ambushes you, full-body style, and refuses to let go. What follows is a tale of facial expressions, uncontainable giggles, and hallway chaos with my nieces. Also… I nearly peed my pants. This is your warning. You ever have one of those moments where you’re not supposed to laugh—and that just makes it even funnier? Yeah. That happened today. And it completely wrecked me in the best way. My mom was getting on to my niece Haley. I don’t even remember what for, honestly. What I do remember is the face she was making. Something abou...