"Rainman" - Kim Peek

I really enjoyed hearing Kim Peek and his father speak on Monday. I found it very interesting to learn more about Kim and his ability to remember and recall information and how his brain functions. It was a great experience to see the love that his father has for him and the relationship that they have with each other. I thought it was fun to see how the two of them work together and the kinds of conversations that they have. At times I felt like a fly on the wall watching them talk about the events of the week and the upcoming surgery of his brother. How cute that he was concerned about being able to visit his brother while in the hospital.

When Kim would lose interest in what his father was saying, he would walk away and blurt out unrealated comments. It was cute to see his father remind him to be quiet and not speak out. His father said that Kim needs help with many of the basic life skills such as showering, shaving, getting dressed and feeding himself. Yet, his knowledge and ability to remember information far outweights that of an adult. When the audience had the opportunity to ask him questions, Kim wouldn't just give them the answer they were looking for, he would also give them all the background information about their question. It was interesting to hear his thoughts about the many different subjects and the information that he would share about it.

I feel bad that Kim wasn't able to have his first MRI until his 30's and that he has been so misunderstood throughout his life. It wasn't until the movie "The Rainman" came out in the 80's that he started to be more understood and appreciated by the general public. I'm so glad that he is able to go out and let people get to know more about him and gain an appreciation for him and others with the same condition. I especially loved his message that "everyone is special". I'm so glad that we were able to attend. The brain is an amazing organ and we still have a lot of research to be able to understand it more and more.