Saturday, January 21, 2012

What does the average person think Tourette's really is?

Today I went with my boyfriend Speed Racer to a popular and fairly alternative area to film for the documentary. We were on a mission to find out and to film what the average person knows about Tourette's. I was pretty sure we were going to get some interesting answers because earlier that morning my mom's co-worker/friend was over at the house to help my mom out with moving my grandma into her assisted living home and my mom insisted on having me show her the trailer for the documentary. Half way through she turned to me and said "I never knew Tourette's was real" and "I thought it was just cursing for TV". She's a special-ed teacher so her lack of knowledge on the subject was kinda shocking really. So after this encounter I was expecting some pretty interesting answers. Speed Racer and I went to breakfast first (even though it was the middle of the day) and then went to film. We just asked people one simple question "What is Tourette's Syndrome?". I was shocked for the second time in the day because they did not say what I would have expected. Every single one of the people we interviewed, besides a few people, had a pretty accurate idea of what Tourette's is. Most of them knew it causes involuntary movement's and sounds and that the stereotype was that people with TS shouted out profanities but in reality that's very rare. The few who didn't know what it was guessed that it caused muscle spasms which is actually pretty darn close. I was impressed! And so was Speed Racer! And the ones who didn't know exactly what it was actually stopped me afterwards and asked me what it really was and wanted me to explain it to them. I was impressed by their knowledge of TS and by the willingness of those who did not know about it to learn! I educated at least 5 people today! A win for awareness and acceptance! At least that's how I feel! Anyway, I already put the footage of today's filming in the documentary. It looks very good!

Sidenote: Last night I got out of the shower and entered my room to find my mother laying in my bed underneath my awesome weighted blanket! She told me that I would have to sleep somewhere else because she my weighted blanket was so comfy! Haha I told her no way and made her get out! She now steals it from me on a regular basis to take naps with or to read under. Haha, she says I will have to put up with her stealing it until she can buy one for herself and for my brother too!

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