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- Beany Brain #89: They Call Me Trello Yellow and You're Fired
Beany Brain #89: They Call Me Trello Yellow and You're Fired
Abigail Munday
April 15, 2026
Beany Brain: loving our jumping-bean brains!
Welcome to this issue of the Beany Brain! I hope today’s newsletter will bounce us up as we contemplate the upsides and challenges of being neurodivergent, a little beauty, some creativity, and just general yeehawesomeness.
Table of Contents
Photo by Abigail Munday
They Call Me Trello Yellow
I got an email from Trello letting me know that I hadn’t logged in for 2 years.
It felt kind of threatening.
Actually, they said they’d deactivate my account if I didn’t sign in again soon.
So I did.
What a blast from the past! Half-finished projects, notes, ideas. Some useful; some probably not. Historical Abigail brain-bits.
Photo by Abigail Munday
Have you ever used Trello before? It’s an online organizational system with Kanban boards, and you can delineate different boards for different tasks.
I did utilize it for a little while, and then gave up. In fact, I forgot that I even had an account with them or that Trello even existed.
Hmmmm.
What organizational tools work for you?
It’s such an individualized thing.
You’ve met one autistic person? You’ve met one autistic person.
You’ve met one ADHD person? You’ve met one ADHD person.
You have an organizational system that works for you?
That’s lovely!
But it might not work for others, as I found out with Trello.
Since I gave it up for Lent (um, I mean I totally forgot about it), I’ve come up with my own Abigail system that is a blend of A4-sized paper (close to 8.5 X 11 in.) with my own handwritten columns, one for each day of the week, papers half that size for grocery and other shopping lists, and Google Calendar.
It’s a mixed bag, but that’s how I roll these days.
Photo by Abigail Munday
Photo by Abigail Munday
Photo by Abigail Munday
It’s working for now, and that’s the icing on the simnel cake.
Photo by Abigail Munday
Ha Ha Haiku
A funny haiku for you every week in every newsletter, whether it’s one of my own or one I curate for you. HA. Ha. Haiku.
Photo by Abigail Munday
So you keep balanced
YouTube lady says look at
Things stationery
(Abigail Munday)
Photo by Abigail Munday
You’re Fired
Never in 3 years had they been reprimanded.
It’s a long story.
Here’s the nutshell version:
He or she worked for 3 years for a company that provides caregiving services to disabled people.
Yamakawa worked with 2 clients.
After 3 years, they disclosed their autism to the head of the company, who was displeased and then talked about this to other people in the company without permission.
Then he demanded that Yamakawa resign.
Yamakawa took it to court; after 3 years in court, he or she was awarded about $5,000. Yamakawa and the caregiving company both appealed.
Yamakawa says:
I hope for a workplace and society where people are not prejudged or stereotyped solely based on being disabled, and where discriminatory acts are never committed.
I have some questions:
Why was the company allowed to demand a resignation from an autistic person?
Why did it take the courts so long to decide a verdict?
Why did the courts award so little compensation?
What was Yamakawa living on in the meantime?
Was Yamakawa able to get another job? I’m sure he or she could not get a letter of recommendation from the first company.
If Yamakawa was never reprimanded and never did a bad job, why did they demand a letter of resignation?
Why did the boss then go blab about Yamakawa’s condition to other employees?
Why is there so much freakin’ injustice in this world?
To disclose or not to disclose.
That is a question that never has an easy answer.
Photo by Abigail Munday
Yeehawesome!
Yeehawesome! is a happy-brain roundup in each issue of Beany Brain. What’s happening that’s good in brain land? What’s bringing me joy?
The Anti-Doom Initiative shares stories about projects that are helping solve the climate crisis.
This Carol Burnett feet orchestra clip makes me giggle.
A list of 14 happiness hacks from Gretchen Rubin. #1 is getting to bed at a decent time and don’t let yourself get too hungry.
Quote of the Week
“Anxiety doesn’t stand a chance when we’re laughing.”
Lynn Lyons, international speaker and psychotherapist
Beany Brownie Points and Extra Bonus Funniness
Wonderful Wednesday
Wonderful Wednesday was a day once a year in college when they would suddenly and surprisingly call off all classes and we’d play all day. The cafeteria provided special fun food and we’d do stuff outside like slip ‘n slides and jello wrestling in sumo suits. This segment of Beany Brain is dedicated to that memory of silliness and fun—no words, just a photo from the week that I’ve taken or found that reminds me to let the joy in. Since Beany Brain is published on Wednesday every week (at least, Wednesday in Japan), I hope you enjoy this Wonderful Wednesday.
Photo by Abigail Munday
Today’s Beany-full Summary:
Different organizational systems work for different people.
To disclose your diagnosis or not? That is a question with no easy answer.
Go forth in Beany joy. What will help you feel yeehawesome this week?
Thank you for reading this installment of Beany Brain! You’re very welcome to hop on by any old time.
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