One of my twin 10 yr old sons recently re-discovered his Rubik’s Cube – a toy he had bought for himself more than a year ago, but after a few weeks of interest became abandoned. However his re-discovery has turned into quite the phenomena.
Jacob, who is diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome is a very competitive boy and typically when he locks his interest level into something, it becomes all he thinks about for a long period of time.
His re-discovery of his Rubik’s Cube has become something amazing to watch as his skill level has literally blown my wife and I away. I’ve never solved the thing in the more than 30 years since I first discovered it, yet he can solve it multiple times a day! Jacob finally asked me to record him on video and as you’ll see below…the results are kinda mind-boggling!
While I realize that there are kids out there who can put this time to shame (the World Record is 5.55 seconds), I know that my son…at only 10 years of age…has figured out how to almost master something that only a fraction of the world ever has!
Asperger’s is a condition that is both a marvellous blessing and a wretched curse. His intellect and potential are almost limitless, yet the impairment which at times acts like a vice around him is something we always struggle to work with. This isn’t where I want to delve into the condition, but I will say that despite the impairments he lives with, Jacob continually shows me how amazing he is, and how lucky I am to have him as a son!
This to me is truly what just being a dad is all about…
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