theartofblossoming: Rainbow Zebra The synchronicity of symbols can take my breath away sometimes. Ta

theartofblossoming: Rainbow Zebra The synchronicity of symbols can take my breath away sometimes. Take, for example, the image above: * The Zebra. Did you know that some medical students, keen to diagnose rare and interesting conditions, are told ‘If you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras’. This is why charities for the Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes have adopted the zebra as a mascot. EDS, often seen with a small letter in front indicating the specific type of genetic disorder, (h)ypermobile, ©lassical, (v)ascular, is primarily a glitch in the way the body processes collagen, that stuff that basically holds you together. It is one of the most complex disorders as it affects so many different bodily systems. You can look it up. *The Rainbow. The full range of colour frequencies is, of course, referred to as a Spectrum. EDS is a Hypermobility Spectrum Condition, as is Autism. Here is where it gets a little more involved. *The Puzzle Piece. Now, there is alot of contention over the puzzle-piece symbol that has been used to represent Autism Spectrum conditions. It can be insulting to some who resent the choice of representation. ‘I am a person, not a puzzling thing’. The symbol was chosen quite literally because autism is a complex, puzzling condition. It is a single piece of a whole, a small area of focus - the autism, not the entirety of the person with autism - which in itself is a very autistic way of looking at things, focussing on the small details. Ironic, isn’t it? Incidentally, the symbol for EDS UK features a figure holding a puzzle piece because EDS is also a very complex condition and diagnosis can take years because all the disparate symptoms need to be puzzled together. *The Chiaroscuro. I love this word; the contrast of light and dark. The Zebra stripes hold several meanings: the Visible and Invisible disabilities, relevant to both EDS and Autism, the black and white thinking that is so prevalent in Autism / Aspergers Syndrome. The fluid yet ordered pattern of the stripes which feels like it describes a way of moving through life: orderly, largely predictable routines the changing of which can feel as jarring as moving from black to white, from a dark room to a sunny garden. *The Heart. Love, of course. Also POTS - Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and other heart conditions such as Mitral Valve Prolapse that can occur with EDS and the higher rate of cardiac disorders found with Autism. It is also symbolic for empathy, something that autistic people have in spades (though you wouldn’t necessarily know from the outside). Then there’s the matter of sexual orientation. It is my observation that a significant number of autistic people are also LGBTQetc. Which brings us back to the Rainbow. *Parting thoughts. If we describe ourselves as energy, patterns of energy, patterns of frequencies of energy, then we might liken that to being a musical refrain. Some of us clash, some of us harmonise, some of us partially match then take a higher or lower harmony or melody. We Rainbow Zebras are all singing pretty much the same song with our own unique improvisation. My song is hEDS, Aspergers, POTS, GA, FND,CFS,OA,FM, Bisexual, creative, mother, holistic, English….you get the idea. Symbols can express us but they don’t define us. Symbols can explain complexities in an instant but are only a doorway to the specifics. Symbols can overlap and bring out meanings in other symbols. ♡ What are your symbols? (Reblogging from my main:)2022 update: EDS UK no longer uses a puzzle piece in its logo. I no longer use the term Aspie/Aspergers, sticking with autistic instead. -- source link
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