Benjamin Breaking Barriers

April 30, 1996 - March 1, 2024 In my annual Christmas letter this past December (2023), I wrote: “The big transition for me has been the full retirement of my horse, Orion, in April around his 27th birthday. His age finally caught up to him, and riding no longer felt safe nor enjoyable for either of us. Overall though, he is still in good health, enjoys his pasture, mates, and no longer wearing shoes....

Memorial for Orion April 30, 1996 – March 1, 2024 In my annual Christmas letter this past December (2023), I wrote: “The big transition for me has been the full retirement of my horse, Orion, in April around hi…

In November of 2022, a full year ago, Benjamin had an inexplicable breakdown – first came tendinitis, weight loss, and a stress fracture, then terrible panic/anxiety/OCD attacks, insomnia and even more dramatic weight loss, with clinical depression resisting medication. Psychiatry, counseling, various medications…only one medicine was helpful, and then the months crawled by with medication trials that brought no further improvement....

2023 – The Roughest Year In November of 2022, a full year ago, Benjamin had an inexplicable breakdown – first came tendinitis, weight loss, and a stress fracture, then terrible panic/anxiety/OCD attacks, insomnia and even …

Benjamin has long desired to experience the cog railroad that winds its way up Pike’s Peak. I remember riding these rails as a child myself, marveling that the line was so old – the first cog trains began chugging up the mountain in 1891. The 9-mile journey took us past waterfalls, craggy rock formations, and golden aspen groves, providing magnificent views....

Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods Benjamin has long desired to experience the cog railroad that winds its way up Pike’s Peak. I remember riding these rails as a child myself, marveling that the line was so old – the first cog train…

First, a historic cold snap during early September, dropping from low 90’s to high 20’s for two days, preceded by frantic harvesting of delicate crops like basil and tomatoes. Then, four days of increasing warmth, and Benjamin’s encore performance on a shining, breezy, Indian-summer day.A newly learned pop-song made it onto the program, and like last month’s concert, folks hungrily soaked up the energy and vitality of Benjamin’s live performance....

Encore Performance of Garden Concert First, a historic cold snap during early September, dropping from low 90’s to high 20’s for two days, preceded by frantic harvesting of delicate crops like basil and tomatoes. Then, four days of in…

New Orleans is a vibrant and fascinating city that lives up to its nickname, “The Big Easy,” with a friendly and laid-back feel. Various cultures, (primarily French, African, Native Indian, and American) have commingled here during the past two-plus centuries, and below are snapshots of the cultural insights we gained during our 5 ½ day visit in February. The French Quarter…...

February New Orleans Trip New Orleans is a vibrant and fascinating city that lives up to its nickname, “The Big Easy,” with a friendly and laid-back feel. Various cultures, (primarily French, African, Native Indian, and Ame…

from Benjamin: I was ten when I first visited my grandparents, plus my aunt and uncle, on the island of Oahu. My intense life of 24/7 autism therapy had brought me to the point of our first ever family vacation trip. Since then (2004), we’ve been back four more times, including this October visit, which also included a few days on Maui....

October Trip to Oahu & Maui from Benjamin: I was ten when I first visited my grandparents, plus my aunt and uncle, on the island of Oahu. My intense life of 24/7 autism therapy had brought me to the point of our first ever fa…

We are celebrating over 10 years of Benjamin Breaking Barriers events with a newly constructed website! www.BenjaminBreakingBarriers.com Please visit us virtually and enjoy many photos on 5 inviting pages. In Summary: Benjamin has been performing since childhood, and has been advocating, plus creating new and special events on behalf of the autism community since 2012. He has become somewhat of a local celebrity, spearheading many inclusion events and awakening the greater community to wonderful collaborations (...

https://benjaminbreakingbarriers.wordpress.com/2023/03/06/celebrating-over-10-years-of-bbb-events/

Celebrating Over 10 Years of BBB Events! We are celebrating over 10 years of Benjamin Breaking Barriers events with a newly constructed website! www.BenjaminBreakingBarriers.com Please visit us virtually and enjoy many photos on 5 invitin…

For the first time since Covid lockdown, the Autism Society of Boulder County held a gala fundraiser, and just as in previous years, I was invited to be the emcee. This was an awesome opportunity to introduce my newest project: a series of speed-dating events (or social mixers, or some variation on this theme) for people on the spectrum – as well as for those with other special needs!...

Breaking Barriers Speed-Dating For the first time since Covid lockdown, the Autism Society of Boulder County held a gala fundraiser, and just as in previous years, I was invited to be the emcee. This was an awesome opportunity t…

In 2020, just before Covid hit, I attended my first Shine Prom, during a major February snowstorm, in south Denver (a considerable drive from our home in Boulder). This September, I got to attend another Shine Prom, this time in Niwot (hosted by Rocky Mountain Christian Church), with horse-and-carriage rides during a spectacular sunset! Best of all, I connected with two of my friends from high-school who happened to be in town during this time period, and upon my urging, they both became volunteers for the event....

Shine Prom in Niwot In 2020, just before Covid hit, I attended my first Shine Prom, during a major February snowstorm, in south Denver (a considerable drive from our home in Boulder). This September, I got to attend a…

Two years ago, in March, the musical-theater show I was working on had to close down just hours before opening night because of Covid lockdown. As you can imagine, I felt over-the-moon-happiness when, at long last, we gathered this past winter and began rehearsing a new production. Disappointingly, Omicron disrupted us, and we took another hiatus until May. Then, finally, we got rolling on Cinderella!...

Cinderella! Two years ago, in March, the musical-theater show I was working on had to close down just hours before opening night because of Covid lockdown. As you can imagine, I felt over-the-moon-happiness wh…

In memory of Midori, my little parrot(January 2015 - February 2022)Many of you know that Midori, my little conure parrot, passed away unexpectedly in early February, just before our Florida trip. I was blessed to have her in my life and be her “parrot-parent” for seven years. She will be remembered and missed for her beautiful colors-of-the-rainbow, lively personality, and our delightful times together.Thank you to all my family and friends who admired Midori and contributed to keeping her socialized during our visits together.

Midori In memory of Midori, my little parrot(January 2015 – February 2022)Many of you know that Midori, my little conure parrot, passed away unexpectedly in early February, just before our Florida t…

Throughout my mom’s entire concert season of playing in the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, I’ve been looking forward to the final performance: Jake Shimabukuru, ukulele player supreme and star of the evening with many of his own compositions, as well as covers of favorite artists (such as The Beatles, Queen, etc). A friend and I bought our tickets many months ago!...

My hero, Jake! Throughout my mom’s entire concert season of playing in the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, I’ve been looking forward to the final performance: Jake Shimabukuru, ukulele player supreme and star of …