(no subject) [The Stars and the Cookie Jar]

So lately I've been reading Michael Ruhlman's books, and having flashbacks to my brief time in culinary school (before breaking down a steer broke me down). And I'm like, mirepoix, yup, batonnet, nod, nod. But what I'm remembering aside from the terminology and technique was how very, very many times I cut, slashed, nicked and gashed myself in those basic skills classes. It's not that I'm an idiot. It's not that I don't comprehend kitchen safety or how to hold my knife. I just have about the poorest sense of spatial relations on the planet, and little to no physical memory. Actions I perform do not imprint on my body and affect its future patterns. So I could be shown a concasse one day, and lacerate the hell out of the side of my finger trying to core out the tomato the next day. (Yeah. The side. Try it, if you have any knife skills. It's an injury you will not be able to replicate.)

This is why I can't drive a car. I hit things. The things had a perfectly good bubble of their own space -- say, the ring of petunias around a mailbox post. I just misjudged and crossed into it. Time. After time. After time. After expensive time.

(I know this is why they put lines on the road. I can't see them. Rather, I can see them, but I have no real idea about how much room is between me and them.)

So! You may be wondering why I'm posting this. The thing is, I want to know if any of you have solutions, suggestions, et cetera that you have used in similar situations. Because Thanksgiving's coming up, and the DC Metro area only has so many Band-Aids.

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It sounds like you may have Dyspraxia.

I don't have any tips on how to help but there are several websites on the subject.

Here's the Wikipedia Entry, and the Dyspraxia Foundation.

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"May also be present in people with autism spectrum disorder." AHAHAHAHA. *cries*

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Yeeeeeeeeah, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, and Asperger's are all inter-related, and effected by elements of everyday life like allergies and food dye. I have ADHD, or, as my friends like to say, ADHD has me.

WHEEEE!

Controlling my allergies and modifying my diet have helped a lot, and so have Yoga and meditation.

I'm looking at the Dore Foundation right now which uses a series of twice-daily exercises to retrain the brain. I figure it can't hurt.

*nervous chuckle* My solution, my only solution, has been to pretty much avoid situations like that entirely. I have that same problem. With everything. I'm very good at injuring myself. I just can't seem to sense how close I am to other objects. :-/ But I test well on the spatial portion of IQ tests and such.

Figure that one out.

Sorry I can't help you more. I guess taking the bus isn't really a viable option?

Luckily, I do take the bus! And the train. But that leaves my wife as the sole driver in our relationship. :( I was reading on dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk that they have simulator cars over there; I'm thinking about emailing the foundation and asking if they know of anything similar in the States

Sorry to barge in, but I drifted over here from

selkie_chow and was browsing. I absolutely don't want to sound either stalkerish or like I'm trying to sell you something, because I'm really, really not either one. But the company I work for actually builds driving simulators. I don't have access to our user list at the moment, but I'll see if I can find out if anyone is using them for training in your general area (you're in VA?). I'm also going to hit up our simulator team to look into driver training for people with dyspraxia; it sounds like an area that would be right up our alley.