The Perpetual Memory

Bil....the memory of our family.

Want to know the weather on a date during Bil's life?  Ask Bil.  Want to know the date that a holiday like Easter (a holiday moving around the calendar) in a certain year is?  Ask Bil. 

For him it's not a party trick.  It may well be a function of his brain, which can not work right in so many ways, being able to devote large amounts of memory to other things.

I leaned on this ability a lot when my father in law died, 13 years ago this next Christmas.  I helped my mother in law out by calling various agencies.  And whenever they wanted a date in my father in law's life, there was Bil all ready to give the answers.

Even in the last couple of weeks-I had to help my mother in law fill out paperwork for Social Security.  They wanted to know the date that Bil had last seen a doctor.  Bill had it down - to the hour.  And the visit before that.  And the visit before that.

I know Bil isn't alone in this ability among people with autism.  I just wish I could figure out a way for it to help him, or even to make him a better income than what his sheltered workshop job.