[Music] my name is Cole and over the next few
my name is Cole and over the next few
my name is Cole and over the next few minutes I’m going to teach you that it’s
minutes I’m going to teach you that it’s
minutes I’m going to teach you that it’s okay to be different since the young age
okay to be different since the young age
okay to be different since the young age I’ve worn different colored socks and
I’ve worn different colored socks and
I’ve worn different colored socks and two different shoes why because I am
two different shoes why because I am
two different shoes why because I am unique a stand out from the crowd
unique a stand out from the crowd
unique a stand out from the crowd I feel best when I am being me this
I feel best when I am being me this
I feel best when I am being me this summer a funny thing happened I was in a
summer a funny thing happened I was in a
summer a funny thing happened I was in a bookstore with my mom when I realized
bookstore with my mom when I realized
bookstore with my mom when I realized everyone was strangely quiet and so I
everyone was strangely quiet and so I
everyone was strangely quiet and so I did what needed to be done I started
did what needed to be done I started
did what needed to be done I started saying as a joke
saying as a joke
saying as a joke my mom pointed to a book and said hey
my mom pointed to a book and said hey
my mom pointed to a book and said hey cool this book is for you I pulled it
cool this book is for you I pulled it
cool this book is for you I pulled it out and read the cover here’s what it
out and read the cover here’s what it
out and read the cover here’s what it said you’re weird
said you’re weird
said you’re weird a creative journal for misfits oddballs
a creative journal for misfits oddballs
a creative journal for misfits oddballs and anyone else who’s uniquely awesome
and anyone else who’s uniquely awesome
and anyone else who’s uniquely awesome it’s the best book ever
it’s the best book ever
it’s the best book ever it tells everyone it’s cool to be
it tells everyone it’s cool to be
it tells everyone it’s cool to be different today I’m going to tell you
different today I’m going to tell you
different today I’m going to tell you about a friendship of mine that is a
about a friendship of mine that is a
about a friendship of mine that is a little different than you might expect
little different than you might expect
little different than you might expect this is one of my best friends Steven he
this is one of my best friends Steven he
this is one of my best friends Steven he is the happiest person I know
is the happiest person I know
is the happiest person I know Steven is 44 years old and has autism
Steven is 44 years old and has autism
Steven is 44 years old and has autism let me start by explaining how we became
let me start by explaining how we became
let me start by explaining how we became special friends when my mom was just 13
special friends when my mom was just 13
special friends when my mom was just 13 years old she was in the high school
years old she was in the high school
years old she was in the high school cafeteria about to have lunch with her
cafeteria about to have lunch with her
cafeteria about to have lunch with her friends then she passed a table of kids
friends then she passed a table of kids
friends then she passed a table of kids to special needs
to special needs
to special needs Steven was a boy at that table he showed
Steven was a boy at that table he showed
Steven was a boy at that table he showed it out hey what’s your name come sit
it out hey what’s your name come sit
it out hey what’s your name come sit with me
with me
with me my mom sat down and in that moment a
my mom sat down and in that moment a
my mom sat down and in that moment a special friendship began Steven asked my
special friendship began Steven asked my
special friendship began Steven asked my mom three questions he wanted to know
mom three questions he wanted to know
mom three questions he wanted to know what she was having for lunch her phone
what she was having for lunch her phone
what she was having for lunch her phone number and if they could be friends for
number and if they could be friends for
number and if they could be friends for 40 years
40 years
40 years as my mom gave him her phone number and
as my mom gave him her phone number and
as my mom gave him her phone number and said yes he clapped with excitement and
said yes he clapped with excitement and
said yes he clapped with excitement and said I will call you every day ever
said I will call you every day ever
said I will call you every day ever since that day in 1988 he has kept his
since that day in 1988 he has kept his
since that day in 1988 he has kept his promise and called our house every
promise and called our house every
promise and called our house every single day when I was born Stephen was a
single day when I was born Stephen was a
single day when I was born Stephen was a special part of our family and I’ve
special part of our family and I’ve
special part of our family and I’ve grown up calling him uncle Stephen
grown up calling him uncle Stephen
grown up calling him uncle Stephen Stephen is included in family dinners he
Stephen is included in family dinners he
Stephen is included in family dinners he comes to my soccer games he loves
comes to my soccer games he loves
comes to my soccer games he loves watching movies with us and every couple
watching movies with us and every couple
watching movies with us and every couple of weeks he has a sleepover Stephen has
of weeks he has a sleepover Stephen has
of weeks he has a sleepover Stephen has had autism his whole life
had autism his whole life
had autism his whole life watch ISM spectrum disorder refers to a
watch ISM spectrum disorder refers to a
watch ISM spectrum disorder refers to a range of conditions characterized by
range of conditions characterized by
range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills repetitive
challenges with social skills repetitive
challenges with social skills repetitive behaviors speech and nonverbal
behaviors speech and nonverbal
behaviors speech and nonverbal communications as well as by unique
communications as well as by unique
communications as well as by unique strengths and differences my friend
strengths and differences my friend
strengths and differences my friend Stephen is not able to drive a car but
Stephen is not able to drive a car but
Stephen is not able to drive a car but he is able to memorize every phone
he is able to memorize every phone
he is able to memorize every phone number he has ever heard there is no
number he has ever heard there is no
number he has ever heard there is no cure for autism but I think Stephen is
cure for autism but I think Stephen is
cure for autism but I think Stephen is perfect the way he is one of my favorite
perfect the way he is one of my favorite
perfect the way he is one of my favorite memories with Stephen is whenever a fire
memories with Stephen is whenever a fire
memories with Stephen is whenever a fire truck passes us he showed so when I grew
truck passes us he showed so when I grew
truck passes us he showed so when I grew up I want to be a fire truck
that always makes me smile he likes the
that always makes me smile he likes the idea of being a fireman but he loves the
idea of being a fireman but he loves the
idea of being a fireman but he loves the idea of being a firetruck
idea of being a firetruck
idea of being a firetruck another thing that always makes me laugh
another thing that always makes me laugh
another thing that always makes me laugh is how much he likes to eat have you
is how much he likes to eat have you
is how much he likes to eat have you ever met someone who can eat a steak a
ever met someone who can eat a steak a
ever met someone who can eat a steak a face of pizza french fries apple pie ice
face of pizza french fries apple pie ice
face of pizza french fries apple pie ice cream and they are still starving while
cream and they are still starving while
cream and they are still starving while Stephen eats all that almost every time
Stephen eats all that almost every time
Stephen eats all that almost every time we see him finally one of my favorite
we see him finally one of my favorite
we see him finally one of my favorite memories with Stephen is when we play
memories with Stephen is when we play
memories with Stephen is when we play hide and seek he always hides in the
hide and seek he always hides in the
hide and seek he always hides in the closets I loved playing hide and seek
closets I loved playing hide and seek
closets I loved playing hide and seek with Stephen it always makes me smile
with Stephen it always makes me smile
with Stephen it always makes me smile but not just me he makes everyone smile
but not just me he makes everyone smile
but not just me he makes everyone smile I don’t think we need to care for autism
I don’t think we need to care for autism
I don’t think we need to care for autism just like we don’t need to care for
just like we don’t need to care for
just like we don’t need to care for freckles autism is not a disease just
freckles autism is not a disease just
freckles autism is not a disease just like brown hair isn’t a disease you
like brown hair isn’t a disease you
like brown hair isn’t a disease you don’t need to fix something that isn’t
don’t need to fix something that isn’t
don’t need to fix something that isn’t broken I look up to my uncle Stephen as
broken I look up to my uncle Stephen as
broken I look up to my uncle Stephen as he is the happiest person I know Stephen
he is the happiest person I know Stephen
he is the happiest person I know Stephen doesn’t try to be like anyone else he is
doesn’t try to be like anyone else he is
doesn’t try to be like anyone else he is exactly who he was meant to be imagine a
exactly who he was meant to be imagine a
exactly who he was meant to be imagine a world where we all live like Stephen
world where we all live like Stephen
world where we all live like Stephen find out what makes you different don’t
find out what makes you different don’t
find out what makes you different don’t be afraid to stand out wake up jump out
be afraid to stand out wake up jump out
be afraid to stand out wake up jump out of bed and be exactly who you are
of bed and be exactly who you are
of bed and be exactly who you are we are all a little different and that’s
we are all a little different and that’s
we are all a little different and that’s awesome thank you
awesome thank you
awesome thank you [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
”
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