“One thing that makes me really happy about the Prospector Theater is that people are working there, learning how to work, doing real jobs.” - Dr. Temple Grandin

The pandemic has paused our projectors,

Our passion and purpose for meaningful work resumes in new worlds.

In April 2021, Prospects went to Temple for wisdom.

Dr. Temple Grandin,

Professor,

Scientist,

Inventor,

Author,

Animal lover,

And Autism self-advocate.

She is a hero.

Dr. Grandin had visited and spoke to the Prospects in-person in 2014.

About meaningful work and employment.

Seven years went by and the Prospector grew.

Prospects who experienced Dr. Grandin speak then,

Are new people now,

Thanks to meaningful employment.

Temple couldn’t travel this year,

That didn’t stop us.

It’s 2021.

Technology has grown,

Zoom, Zoom, so fast.

There’s a rover on Mars.

We can go places we have never gone before.

We don’t need roads where we’re going.

Doc Brown was right.

We use technology as transportation now.

Access no longer denied.

The lift gate has been opened.

We are now more free than ever.

And so, Dr. Grandin Zoomed into the Prospector.

Zoom: more accessible than most American train stations.

Prospects thanked Dr. Grandin for her voice,

For sharing her process of thinking,

A “photorealistic visual thinker,” as she describes,

And helped us understand our thinking better.

People with Autism spend a lot of time being misunderstood.

By their families, teachers, peers, and employers.

Misunderstood by themselves and ourselves.

Sometimes scared,

Sometimes sad,

Sometimes confused,

Sometimes taunted,

Sometimes troubled,

Sometimes frustrated,

Sometimes over-stimulated,

Sometimes stereotyped,

Sometimes undervalued,

Sometimes underemployed,

Sometimes unemployed,

Sometimes excluded,

Sometimes,

A lot of times,

Most times,

Sometimes, no sometimes.

The Prospector Theater takes time to make these words of the past,

From a world of the past.

We are all somewhere on the spectrum,

And we can help support each other.

Prospects don’t just must,

Prospects don’t try.

Prospects do.

We include, empathize, employ, entertain, educate, and enjoy.

Dr. Temple Grandin helped us to understand her.

And we can understand ourselves and each other better.

Temple Grandin is Autistic, scientific, and terrific.

Yes, friends, you can be all three… and more.

She helps us accept ourselves, and understand ourselves better,

Giving us the courage to pick up tools and make change.

We have a lot of jobs to do.

The Prospector Theater puts the right tools and technology,

Into the right person’s hands.

We let our work speak for us.

One Prospect sketched a picture during the Zoom,

Dr. Grandin, standing in front of her favorite movie theater…

The Prospector.

We asked,

“Dr. Grandin, when you picture your favorite movie theater, will you picture us first?”

Temple said, “yes.”

Another Prospect,

Who has become an embroidery designer,

And opened his own business,

Since Temple’s last visit,

Made a gift:

A shirt,

Dr Grandin’s signature style,

Custom embroidered with the Prospector crown,

Popcorn clouds,

And blue stars in the sky,

Like in our Theater 3.

She has said:

“If I did not have my work, I would not have my life.”

The Prospector was built in this philosophy,

Meaningful work = better quality of life.

Many Prospects feel the same.

Temple is not ashamed of her Autism.

She embraces it.

“If I could snap my fingers and be non-Autistic, I would not.”

“Autism is part of what I am.”

Think of how lucky the cattle of the world are…

Temple Grandin declared “nature is cruel, but we don’t have to be.''

Think about how much Temple Grandin loves animals,

And the gift she has given through her humane study, drive, and engineering.

Cattle have dignity, thanks to Dr Grandin.

For anyone who thinks people with Autism have no emotions,

No attachments,

No feelings...

Stop reading this now.

Go watch Claire Danes star in Temple Grandin’s award winning biopic,

Read one or all of Dr. Grandin’s books,

Listen to her TED Talks,

Read any interview with or about Dr. Temple Grandin,

Refer to Oliver Sach’s 1993 essay “Anthropologist on Mars”.

People with autism

Are all different,

Love deeply,

Have emotions,

Have value,

Add value.

Rachel wrote a book,

She told Temple Grandin,

“Awe-tistic”

It’s a beautifully written and illustrated journey through Rachel’s life,

From her unique point of view,

Of her turning her Autism into her sparkle,

Leaving all around her with a sense of wonderment - a sense of Awe.

Her book will be published, accompanied by essays,

Written by people who have experienced Rachel’s talents with wonderment and awe.

Michaelangelo,

Einstein,

Almost all of Silicon Valley,

Temple Grandin,

Just to name a few.

Where would the world be without

The creatives,

Scientists,

Computer programmers,

Artists,

Inventors,

And the great different minds of people on the spectrum.

Dr. Grandin loves NASA,

The view from the Hubble Telescope,

And is energized by the quality of photos sent from Mars.

Dr, Grandin looks to space and sees the stars.

The Prospector Theater sparkle-mines to create our own.

Thank you Dr. Grandin.

The Prospector Theater has proved you right.

We have found that working works.

Sparkle on, Dr. Temple Grandin!

Sparkle on!

Prospects are in awe!

Valerie Jensen

April 2021