If you had approached me five years ago and told me that one day I would be featured on television, I would have called you crazy and sent you off to the loony bin.

But my feature on NBC 5 wasn’t a joke. On Friday of last week, I saw myself on screen as if I was watching someone else’s story unfold.

It was only a few weeks ago when I was contacted by NBC 5 anchorwoman Deborah Ferguson. She had read my column in the Dallas Morning News a few weeks back and thought it would tie in well with her series on Autism.

You see, I struggle with a condition known as Asperger’s syndrome, a developmental disorder that exists on the upper end of the Autism spectrum. In many ways, it is considered a form of high-functioning Autism. On one hand, I’m acute and detail-oriented on the subjects I find interesting, which includes movies, film history, books, graphic novels, writing, and storytelling. In this way, Asperger’s has served me well.

But on the other end, my social skills are completely shot thanks to Asperger’s. I can’t read sarcasm. I can’t read nonverbal cues. In fact, if you say something to me in a mocking or insincere tone, there’s a good chance it will fly over my head and I will think you’re speaking honestly. I’ve been able to overcome most of these difficulties, but every now and then, Asperger’s will get ahold of me and I will once again find myself at the disorder’s mercy.

It has monumentally affected my life, and for the longest time, I thought it was the biggest thing holding me back.

Fast forward to when I published the column for the Dallas Morning News. I’m not as bothered by my condition anymore. Like some of my friends who face similar disorders, I choose to see it less as a hindrance and more as just a part of me. I’m not afraid to write about it or talk about it anymore. I feel like I’m talking less about Asperger’s and talking more about myself.

For one reason or another, NBC 5 decided that this was newsworthy enough to do a feature on. I myself didn’t see the big importance of it. There are many people out there who suffer from worse conditions than my own, such as those who are more visible on the Autism spectrum, those who are cancer victims, or disabled veterans who just came back stateside. Their stories are much larger and monumental than my own. What did I do that was so special?

But as I continued watching myself in the story, I think I began to understand why people thought this was newsworthy. It wasn’t that I had Asperger’s. It was that I was willing to talk about it. I was willing to write about it. I wasn’t willing to give Asperger’s any more power over me and instead gave that power back to myself.

So no matter what your situation is, I encourage you to write about it. Talk about it. Film a video about it. Do anything you want to in order to reveal more about yourself and what you struggle with. Because I promise you, no matter what you’re going through, there’s someone else out there going through the same thing. Despite what you might think, your story is just as newsworthy as mine is, and it deserves to be told.