Always look on the bright side of life.
I’ve been talking to a few people who enjoy the humour in the Jonathan Roper series and many have asked what prompted me to mix comedy with dark story lines.
Well the answer lies close to home. Literally. My son is profoundly autistic, and unlike Roper he struggles with language, although he found a way to communicate with us as he got older. But growing up he was a real handful and my wife and I soon learned that a sense of humour would be an indispensable tool if we were going to survive.
I should probably share some examples to help you understand. This one concerns what we in Britain refer to as a heatwave. Temperatures hitting a dizzying, for us, 100F. This is not the sort of weather we Brits are comfortable with and my boy proved no exception.
It was mid-afternoon on a Saturday and it was getting hotter and hotter. I was in the kitchen trying to cool down with an electric fan when, to my total surprise, he appeared wearing a full Santa Claus outfit. I’m talking the thick red tunic, the trousers, the hat and the fluffy white beard. He stood in the doorway and announced “ice cream” - his way of asking to be taken to the shops to get a cold drink and ice cream. Inside the suit he was going as red as the outfit and sweating heavily. I told him it was fine to go to the shop but suggested he might like to take the outfit off. He wasn’t having any of it, so off we set.
To this day I have never been sure why he was wearing it, but my best guess is that Santa turns up in the cold weather of Christmas, so this was his way of asking someone to make the heat go away.
Anyway, I digress. We were about to have more Santa related fun. We arrived at the shop, which was full of people who’d had the same sort of idea, so there was a long queue at the checkout. We took our place at the back and I checked my even redder and sweatier son. He still refused to take his gear off.
He had one more card to play. To pass the time he started singing, very loudly, very off-key, and slightly unintelligibly the carol Jingle Bells. This was bellowed out as we shuffled forward. I have to admit that I was embarrassed, deeply embarrassed, but I needn’t have worried. An entire shop full of customers simply ignored us. They stared straight ahead, never once glancing in our direction.
Finally, we got to the counter. The young assistant looked at me, looked at my sweating son and told him “Hello Santa. It’s a bit early for you isn’t it?”
Well the answer lies close to home. Literally. My son is profoundly autistic, and unlike Roper he struggles with language, although he found a way to communicate with us as he got older. But growing up he was a real handful and my wife and I soon learned that a sense of humour would be an indispensable tool if we were going to survive.
I should probably share some examples to help you understand. This one concerns what we in Britain refer to as a heatwave. Temperatures hitting a dizzying, for us, 100F. This is not the sort of weather we Brits are comfortable with and my boy proved no exception.
It was mid-afternoon on a Saturday and it was getting hotter and hotter. I was in the kitchen trying to cool down with an electric fan when, to my total surprise, he appeared wearing a full Santa Claus outfit. I’m talking the thick red tunic, the trousers, the hat and the fluffy white beard. He stood in the doorway and announced “ice cream” - his way of asking to be taken to the shops to get a cold drink and ice cream. Inside the suit he was going as red as the outfit and sweating heavily. I told him it was fine to go to the shop but suggested he might like to take the outfit off. He wasn’t having any of it, so off we set.
To this day I have never been sure why he was wearing it, but my best guess is that Santa turns up in the cold weather of Christmas, so this was his way of asking someone to make the heat go away.
Anyway, I digress. We were about to have more Santa related fun. We arrived at the shop, which was full of people who’d had the same sort of idea, so there was a long queue at the checkout. We took our place at the back and I checked my even redder and sweatier son. He still refused to take his gear off.
He had one more card to play. To pass the time he started singing, very loudly, very off-key, and slightly unintelligibly the carol Jingle Bells. This was bellowed out as we shuffled forward. I have to admit that I was embarrassed, deeply embarrassed, but I needn’t have worried. An entire shop full of customers simply ignored us. They stared straight ahead, never once glancing in our direction.
Finally, we got to the counter. The young assistant looked at me, looked at my sweating son and told him “Hello Santa. It’s a bit early for you isn’t it?”
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In this age of electronic publishing it is hard for a reader to sift through all the offered books thar are available. it is so exciting for me at the age of 80 to discover such a proficient author with a new take on detective work and the characters involved. Roper is so eclectic but focused, that he grips the reader's mind with an intensity that is shocking. To have him balanced by the sympathetic and patient Hooley, backed by their boss is such a lovely mix of ingedients.Thank you for my discovery of a new author to follow. Trying to read your publishings slowly, but is nearly impossible to slow down. I believe you will grt all the recognition of your excellent writings that you deserve. As a grandmother of a lovely young lad who has his own special brand of autism, who is working a path through this complicated world, I say Well Donr
What a lovely message to receive. Thank you for taking the time to write. I hear a lot from readers who have a grandchild who is on the spectrum. If my books help in any way that is a rich reward. Roper is an amalgam of many different autistic people I have encountered over the years each, as you rightly put it, with their "own special brand of autism.Wishing you and your family all the best in the future.
Michael
Thanks for getting in touch and sharing your own experiences of autism. I think it is fascinating to hear that your son has worked out a way of making his journey through life a little easier. It reminds me of an account I heard where a young autistic boy complained that he could not understand why his parents worried about him. As far as he was concerned, his approach was the norm and everyone else needed to change! Might be a way to go before that happens.
Very best wishes
Mike