A New Stranger in this Strange Land

Post Reply New Topic

I'm new here and have been exploring and posting some. This place seems quite welcoming to strange strangers.

I'm a man from North America, no longer young, but not yet at that ageless stage.

I've had many varying and contradictory diagnoses over my life. About 15 years ago, a very astute therapist suggested that my perception and cognition were quite different, and that I might explore the autism field for greater understanding. Then, she moved away. Drat! After that, the diagnostic adventures continued until a few years ago when I finally got some specialists in the field to agree to a diagnosis. Yes, I am an Aspie.

Have most adult Aspies gone through the diagnosis wringer?

I enjoy classical music (all genres and periods except opera). Until recently, I avoided all singing. It often caused intense cognitive dissonance. Then, I discovered a cappella choral music. That did it.

I enjoy exploring, observing, listening to, and studying nature: woods, swamps, marshes, ponds, streams, rivers, the shore, and the ocean. I don't do it for competition or the thrill. I find it comforting. I feel more at home, more like I'm with accepting friends and family when I'm in natural areas.

I've always had difficulty with communication and became fascinated with words at an early age. So, I enjoy word play and banter, but can sometimes get lost in it.

I enjoy meeting and talking with strangers, and helping them if I can, especially if they are elderly, disabled, or don't speak English at all or very well. However, sometimes "normal people" are quite frightening to me.

I’m looking for inspiration, interaction, information, humor, food for thought, advice, feedback, and opportunities to help other strangers if I can be of help.

Welcome, welcome dear Godwit!

I love to explore by the shore, too.

Thanks.

Exploring is good.

Unless you get eaten by a predator, blown up by a volcano, drowned by a tsunami . . .

I could go on, but there's only so much time and space . . .

So, is your local coast rocky, sandy, both or all three?

And do you take your children?

I have one little boy. We go to the riverside, he and I, to play in the sand.

I grew up near Seattle, and my parents often took me to Camano Island, which has a rocky shore. I would overturn rocks and poke around in tide pools, searching for creatures. There were always many, many little crabs. One year there were baby eels everywhere! Sometimes thousands of jellies were washed up on the shore, where they perished and dried out. Interesting seaweeds, with large, hollow bulbs on the ends...

Hi1 I'm one of the cafe crowd. You've certainly made your mark there!...and I thought you were an aussie. Oh well, we aussies talk to anyone.

You have found your place. So many love the wilderness. There are many wordsmithes too. And this planet is friendly, supportive and er.. strange... at times. So welcome!

Robyn

Good to meet you.

Sea Lions, Crabs, and Eels!

Oh my!

And, whatever you do. Don't let him eat the jellies!

Shhh, don't tell em, they don't think we do.

me too.

welcome to the planet of wrong.

In my experience, aspies are wonderful at playful banter, until they get nervous about something or someone.

Thanks, Robyn!

Now, could you or somebody else please explain the posting exchange I participated in at the cafe? I have not a clue what I meant.

I'd be proud to be an Ozzie. Because I'd still be just as much me as I am now, even though I'm proud not to be an Ozzie. That's because I'm an anti-groupist. I don't identify with any particular cultural group, but draw as much good from as many as I can find. It's just like individual people: I usually can find something good in anybody if I dig deep enough.

The tricky part is convincing them to let me take a shovel to them.

Gosh. This place does seem wonderful.

Even if incredibly confusing and very, very strange in an eerily familiar way.

I just hope I'm still welcome tomorrow, next week and next month.

Most people can only tolerate one mouthful from me in a lifetime.


Alan

+

Never give in
never give in,
never, never,
never, never -
in nothing,
great or small,
large or petty -
never give in
except to convictions
of honor and good sense.

Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Don't worry.

I won't.

What secret?

I don't know what you're talking about!

Of course, I rarely know what anybody is talking about.

And I usually just say anything that pops into my head.

So, there you go.

You see?

No need to worry, whatsoever.

I'll stick to baseball.

Banter up!

OK, OK.

Not basball.

Cooking?

I love pancakes!

The sizzling banter on the skillet.

OK, OK.

Not cooking either.

What about web page design.

Hey! Good looking banter up there!

OK, OK.

Start worrying.

Got any duct tape?

Welcome to WP!

Tim

Well, you can always count on me then.

I'll never give up banter.

That's because I'm never nervous about someone or something!

I'm not at all narrow minded.

I'm nervous about everyone and everything!

You see?

I'm very even handed about it.

Not a biased bone in my body.

And entirely logical.

So, speaking of logic, exactly how did you leap to that conclusion about me?

Seems mighty interesting that you could pull that fact right out of the blue.

Was that you following me in the blue car the last time I went shopping?

How long have you been placing spyware on my computer? And I never shop on-line!

Why are you trying to make me so nervous all the time?

Look what you've done to me!

I can't even do banter anymore!

You see?

Welcome,

A large space has been held in reserve waiting for you, plese put something there.

I am old, disabled, and English is out to get me. Help!

I love the shore, as long as it stays in it's place. Lately it has been too welcoming, and I cannot grow gills.

I write, have other bad habits, and like this place.

What subjects do you bore people with?

Thanks, Tim.

Really.

I mean that.

Personally.

From the bottom of my heart.

The thing is, Tim . . .

I really don't know how to say this to you appropriately, Tim . . .

So . . .

I'm just going to have to pull a compleat Aspie on you here:

NO BUNNIES!

I mean, the little water bottle and the chewed tube . . .

And all the bowls of little ingoing pellets . . .

And the bottom of the cage . . .

With all the outgoing pellets . . .

Ewww!

Unless, of course, you mean something entirely different by "Bunnies."

In that case, that would be something entirely different from bunnies.

Wouldn't it?

I mean, I am new here.

Is that some sort of special WP jargon?

Where's that darn WP dictionary when you need it?

I'm trying my best to be patient and tolerant and compliant here!

BUT BUNNIES!?

Do I have to?