While I must make it clear that I work for Optima Low Vision Services, I am not in the sales team, nor have I been asked or given any incentive whatsoever by them to create this post. 

As an autistic person, I have always worn sunglasses in social or difficult situations as they act like a two-way mirror (I can see out, but my eyes can’t easily be seen)  and this helps me to manage eye contact with other people. Not only do I often find that eye contact is physically painful, but it increases my feeling of vulnerability. I have therefore worn sunglasses inside and outside for a long time during social events.  However, I have found that sunglasses can make it more difficult to see in low light and this creates a few problems, as you might imagine. 

So, when I came across what looked like a pair of sunglasses in our stock at work, I thought they looked good and I bought a pair. However, I realised quickly that they are actually filters, and are far superior to sunglasses for me.  

Because the lenses of the filters are not as tinted as sunglasses, they can be used in low light situations, and I can see completely clearly both inside and outside. 

 This makes it much easier and more comfortable for me to engage in and manage conversations and social interactions indoors, or when it’s overcast or twilight, outside. At the same time, the tint on the filters is at prescription level and is therefore sufficient to protect my eyes from harsh sunlight, which is very important for people of my age. 

I have found that the filters help me to navigate difficult social situations with much greater ease, and are much more effective for me than sunglasses have been. They transform intimidating environments like travelling on my own on a packed train for several hours, or potentially stressful social interactions, both inside and out, into more manageable experiences. They’ve made my social life much less stressful. 

In addition, the lenses come with a choice of frames and colours to suit everybody. 

If you are interested in having a pair, please check out the website: https://www.optimalowvision.co.uk/

Stay safe

BC 

In December last year, a small group of poets I belong to online, (I say small, but there’s 400 or so) came up with an idea. Each person could submit up to two poems to the group each month for a year, and a prompt would be sent each month to remind you, if you took part. Then at the end of the year, all of those pieces submitted would form an anthology – the group’s second, as far as I know. The resulting book would then be sold to raise money for charity.

This is the second, and hardest, of the two projects I’ve embarked on this year. I’m pledging to create one poem each month during 2025 to help the group with this worthy cause.

The other project I’m involved in is an anthology called “Fragments of an Unquiet Mind”. This is an anthology about mental health – a subject with which I have some experience. I have written about it in many forms through the years. This will also be sold for charity.

I feel very privileged to be able to be involved in projects like these; joining with other poets to make a real difference with my scribbles.

This is an open letter, I sent to my sperm donor sorry biological father, after years of wanting to say how I felt towards him. (Note I’ve edited out names & places to protect innocent parties)

Father

Well, I say ‘father’, but let’s face it, you haven’t been a father to me, have you?  You walked out on us all, but worse, only a few years ago, I was told that after Grandad, your father, died, you had instructed your legal official that I am “not a member of the family, he’s just someone who’s tacked my name onto the front of his surname, for financial gains”. You formally disowned me as your child. 

My only memories of you are of an almost bipolar-type parent. One minute you were coming in from work all smiles and laughter – play fighting; the next, throwing plates at the wall and using it as an excuse to storm out and go to back to the pub. The rages and violence to mum and me only stopped  when you finally snuck out of the family home while I slept, on the night before Mother’s Day. A nice touch. 

You had left to go to your new family – your new girlfriend, her kids and my half-sister. You let me stay with you, until she made you choose between them and me. Of course, you chose them, and you left me at my mother’s, in the garage, with a damaged watch and some money to ring you if mum didn’t turn up. She did, of course. She always did turn up. 

I’m angry that you discarded me so easily, without a thought.

I’m angry at the repeated broken promises you made to me as a young child. Repeatedly failing to show up to spend time with me at weekends. I’m sure you always had an excuse handy, but I waited for hours for you and you never showed up.

You refused to pay your fair share for your children… me and my little sister. I remember so clearly how you would wait until the very last point… until the bailiffs were taking action to make you pay the maintenance you were required to pay. Then, and only then, making the minimum payment, so that the games could continue.

When I split from the mother of my two children, I went without food to make sure they had what they needed. That’s what a decent parent does, but I guess you don’t understand that.

All that combined is pretty low by anyone’s standards, but to have yet another child by a third woman, and tell her she’s an only child when she is actually one of FOUR, is simply cowardly and disgraceful. Your own parents told me they thought that was despicable.

I’ve nothing against my half sisters, it’s not their fault. It’s yours. You have denied your children the chance to know each other as children, and fed misinformation to the youngest. Fake news has nothing on you.

Anyone might think that I’d be messed up by all these things and your serious drink problem. I’m the eldest and remember much more about your behaviour than my little sister. Well, I’d like to say two things to you……

1) Thank you, for showing me how NOT to do things as a parent. I’m by no means the perfect father – I have made mistakes like any man. But I have learned from my mistakes and accept responsibility for them. You do not, and never have. I have learnt from all of your vile behaviour about how to look after and support my offspring financially and emotionally. I know how to be a decent and loving father and grandfather. You have missed out on so much.

2) Despite everything negative that you’ve done, and all the things you haven’t done as a father, grandfather and great grandfather, I wish you no ill will. I’ve had my own tough times but I’ve become a well-balanced, happy and stable individual. I’ve made a successful career, have a wonderful life near the sea.

I want you to know that I forgive you. I feel sorry for you and your struggles with alcohol. It’s a battle you’ve fought hard since I was a small child and it’s an illness. I hope that one day you’ll get some help, and maybe find clarity, strength and some inner peace from the demons that still haunt you.

A few weeks back I had the privilege of being asked to photograph a family wedding. I love taking photos as a hobby and have got more into the mechanics of what makes a good picture. I enjoy it so much, that I am considering the option of doing it for other people, formally.

Here is a handful of the photos I’ve taken recently, and I would be very interested in your feedback.

This weekend I was honoured to be asked to perform a piece of poetry at my little sisters wedding, I’d got a piece written and ready to go, as I was planning on surprising my sister with it, at the reception.

I’ve not performed publicly since before covid, but I figured what the hell, how hard can it be, apart from the stage fright, which it turns out I still have. It wasn’t that bad, all things considered. So anyway without further ado I give you the scribble dedicated to my little sis.

Andi & Adam

On your wedding day, dear sister of mine,

May love and joy forever entwine.

May your heart be filled with endless delight,

As the two of you embark on this beautiful flight.

May your bond grow stronger day by day,

As you travel through life’s unpredictable way

May laughter and happiness be your guide,

As you navigate your journey, side by side.

May your love shine bright, like the morning sun.

May your union be as eternally strong.

May your dreams come true, both big and small,

And may love be the anchor that won’t let you fall.

As you say “I do” and you start this new chapter,

Know that I will be there, your forever supporter.

I wish you a lifetime of love and of bliss,

On this day and every day. Love you, little sis.

Bob Christian 2024

Recently I shared an old memory to one of my personal social media platforms. This included a picture of me not long after starting high school. It’s not a great photo and it’s before I had corrective surgery on my ears, as I couldn’t hear behind me as my ears stuck out.

I wasn’t diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder until I was forty years old and school wasn’t a place I really enjoyed as a result of those unknown issues, this topped with daily beatings, physical and emotional abuse from my so called peers. Made my teenage years a misery, that I’ve long since moved on from and made peace with things.

Over thirty years later some of the comments on my post were from kids I went to school with. Reminding me about some of the stupid mistakes and trouble I got up to from age 11-16. There’s two things that these people seem to conveniently forget.

The fact that after leaving high school, I’ve had a long and successful career in engineering, including science based, R&D & aerospace. Whilst also finding time to pen 5 anthologies of poetry and a well received book on witchcraft with my co author Daisy Burton. Means nothing to these guys.

I’m not the same shy, awkward little hobbit sized little bastard I was back then. Life changes, evolves & moves forward. I’ve risen from the ashes of my past to become, a respectable member of society & a member of the gentlemen’s brotherhood or Freemasons. While those who we’re supposed to go on to big things in life seem to have rested on their laurels so to speak.

The moral of this tale is that we ALL make mistakes as children, we all do stupid things while we’re growing up, you show me someone who claims they didn’t & I’ll show them a liar. The true test of a person’s character is whether or not 20-30 years down the line they’ve learnt a lesson from these incidents. If not we’re doomed to repeat them until we do.

I guess even after 30 years high school never ends..!

Stay Safe X

As many of you know, I’m a huge comic book fan and I used to run a geek website. Well, many years ago, I found a strange looking comic book, on a popular auction website, it was called Twisted Dark, well. Long story short, I’ve been hooked on the comics by its creator Neil Gibson ever since.

Neil has a (twisted) challenge…

“read the first two stories in either Twisted Dark or The Theory, and then try to put the book down. That’s it.”

I’ve failed miserably and as such own the entire run of “Twisted Dark” So the other night, it was a nice evening, and some blokes kicking a ball thingy was on, I retired to the garden. While I was there, i decided to try to scribble a little something fitting of the above challenge, so I give you

Twisted (Challenge edition)

A challenge dared, a tale to tell,

One chapter read, in darkness dwelt.

Brave souls are you to take the dare,

But Twisted Dark caught us in its snare.

With every page the mysteries grew,

And one by one, our hearts it drew.

If you’d like to check out what I describe as the “Black mirror of Comic books”, visit https://www.twistedcomics.co.uk/twisted-challenge/

I decided to go wandering in the shires today, as I like to do on a Saturday. I needed to visit the tip, so I figured I’d pop into Narnia, have a coffee and a walk, so o like any good elf, I popped into Stacked. It’s a lovely local shop that sells pastry goods, coffee, ice creams, smoothies and the like. I went in to catch up with the lovely couple that own it, have a coffee and to try their amazing ice cream.

This is a place I found completely by chance sometime last year. I’d been for my council of elders meeting, which is coffee on the local market square with other middle-aged men, to grumble about the world in general. When I walked down the High Street to visit some charity shops, and maybe nip into a jumble sale at the church, as these places are a goldmine of strange things, not limited to, but including: a copy of On the Origin of Species, and The Voyage of the Beagle by Darwin, a rarely-seen bullet that had been made safe, and a rare (first edition) copy of the graphic novel V for Vendetta…

You get the drift. So, after catching up with my friends, I decided to head to Vire island, which is just outside my mother-in-law’s window. I’ve looked out of her living room window at it many times, but I’ve rarely been on the island in the twelve years I’ve lived here.

In winter, when the trees are bare, you can see over the island to the other side of the river. It’s teeming with birds and very friendly squirrels, and there are great photo opportunities . It’s nice to also try my bird identification app. As I’m sure you’re aware, I love all animals; at work, I have a family of squirrels, and various birds, including a pheasant over the river, who shouts at me in the morning. So, I throw nuts into the wooded area behind my office, to help them out. Hopefully one day they’ll pull some Disney crap and help sweep up at work or something.

I’m sorry, I’m rambling again. Anyway, after a lovely walk, I decided to put the good vibes and sunshine to good use, and work on some scribbles while relaxing in the garden. Which, by the way, is coming on nicely, we’ve just replaced our garden table parasol after ten years, and the apple and pear trees we bought for the patio are all doing really well. We’ve had several bees on our Hebe plants too, which we love to watch. Enjoy your outside space if you can this weekend.

Stay Safe, B.W.C

“Barefoot”

“Walking on Vire Island, hand in hand,
Nature’s beauty, a mesmerizing blend.”

Words, and images (c)BobChristian

Spell of Gratitude for Another Year

By the light of the moon so bright,
I honour this year with pure delight.
Blessings received, lessons learned,
Gratitude for each moment earned.

Elements four, hear my plea,
Earth, Air, Fire, and Sea.
Guide me through this year anew,
With love, light, and wisdom true.

SMIB

Words and images (c)BobChristian

Today marks my 49th trip around the sun, so with my fiftieth trip starting, I’d like to announce that I’m going to take this time and use it to create one last book.

I have been working on a lot of ideas for, or parts of, scribbles since iHuman came out. They’re apparently better than my last book, so I’m going to finish them off. Then Mrs Bob, who (unfortunately due to my dyslexia & ASD) happens to be my proofreader, will turn my ideas into something beautiful. 

So between us, we’re going to be working hard to make this book the very best it can be. I want to know that my last book is something to be proud of, and something that you’ll really enjoy reading. 

While you wait, please enjoy a complimentary scribble to while away the time. 

Laps

In a trip around the sun, a year unfolds,

A journey of time where stories are told.

365 days, a number so grand,

A mathematical marvel, you should understand.

Minutes in a year, let’s calculate:

60 minutes in an hour, we contemplate.

Multiply by 24, for each passing day

Equals 1,440, in this numerical array.

Now let’s dive deeper, into the math,

Leap years, a twist in the annual path.

Every four years, an extra day is gained

To keep the calendar synced and maintained.

But wait, there’s more, a leap second too!

To account for Earth’s rotation, it’s true.

Inserted sporadically to keep time in sync,

This intricate dance is a fascinating link.

A year, a journey, through seasons and tides,

From spring’s renewal to winter’s icy slides.

Birthdays celebrated, memories made,

A year’s worth of moments, in this time cascade.

So let us cherish each passing day

In this trip around the sun, come what may.

365 days, a mathematical feat,

A year’s worth of wonders for us to meet.