Hello.
I don't really know what to say. I'm just a guy, well into my 40s now. I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. It is simultaneously the most amazingly beautiful area, and also a living hell for me.
As far as what interests me, I like our physical universe, and I love learning about it on both the grand scale as well as the absurdly minute. I like patterns a lot, too. And if you ever want to see a grown man act like a 4 year old, show me a train. (Alright, that's not true, I know the squealing, the jumping and the clapping makes normal people feel uncomfortable, so I've learned to reign that tendency in. Unless I'm alone.)
I was diagnosed yesterday, but I've known for decades that I was different from most others. It's been about 10 years since I realized that it was likely Asperger's, or something similar. This I gleaned through articles about Aspies who worked in my field, and the from various traits they each described.
It's funny, but with anything else of which I am ignorant, I rush to the internet or books to inform myself. Except Asperger's and Autism. I had never read those pages until yesterday.
That was conscious denial on my part. I was well aware that I was lying to myself, but as long as I didn't confirm the tendencies I could continue to pretend that I was like everyone else, just a little sharper and a LOT more quirky.
Next on my agenda is to figure out if I want to medicate to alter (suppress?) what I am or not. While I don't know for sure, I suspect this option will be proposed; it's just what they--people--do. My knee-jerk reaction is to say no, but first, I have a ton of reading to catch up on.
You folks have created an amazing set of resources here. I'm actually excited, and I haven't felt that feeling for months.
How was that as an introduction? I hope it doesn't fall under "TMI."
18 Oct 2013, 5:53 pm
