AS A CHILD

I being a child of 2001 was probably about as old as the series was out when I was born. I enjoyed my comforters, my pillows, my blankets, my snackies, so many things spongebob related around me and munched on!

The Spongebob Movie was one of my earliest movie memories other than Scooby-Doo 2 monsters unleashed. I felt embarassed even as a child that the film moved me to tears...the goody goober lamp scene still makes me cry to this day ever. The power of friendship man...it gets to you.

AS AN ADULT

I've reconnected with spongebob in a deeply healing way. I realize I've always been like the lil guy. Autistic, happy-go-lucky, often deeply annoying but not in a way you can bring yourself to hate. The movie makes me cry even to this day, it often feels like me and bob sponge sit in the fields of jellyfish, trading stories of simple things in life.

To me, Spongebob is peak autistic adult rep. He is not dumb, just extremely happy and often naive. Fails to read the room until it's become very obvious and then becomes upset himself. He expresses emotions to extremes over small things because they matter to him, it takes someone to pull him out.

He's a capable adult with a childish nature. That is what my autism has been with me, I am a capable adult with whimsy and hookers.