Hi everyone! I'm a newbie from NJ and I've been lurking here for quite a few months. From reading all the posts on this board, I feel like I've finally landed on the right planet.
Anyway, a little bit about myself. I was diagnosed with classic autism just before I turned 2. The doctors told my mom that I would never be able to feel love or empathy for anyone, take care of myself, hold down a job, basically telling her that I would never amount to anything. This was back in the 80s.
If only I could show them how wrong they were now. I've had a few boyfriends since then, got my high school diploma, and have been working at the same job for 3 years running. Retail, no less. How I've managed to interact with customers on a daily basis for 3 years is a sheer miracle in and of itself, lol. Getting my driver's license is next on my agenda.
About my interests:
I strongly believe that animals have the right to a good quality of life without being treated cruelly or being exploited, and too many people think it's their right to do so just because they are looked at as being inferior because they can't speak for themselves or express themselves the way humans can (see my sig below). Much the same way I was treated by teachers when I was little because I acted differently and wasn't great with expressive language, and therefore was easier to take advantage of until I got older and was able to tell someone what was going on. I think that's why I feel so strongly about animal rights, I can relate to them so much in this way. Ok, probably TMI, sorry.
I also love watching baseball, especially the Yankees. I love the youth movement and how we're finally starting to "build from within." I actually used to post on a few Yankees message boards a few years ago, but left because there was a lot of trolling, flame wars, and just lack of any intelligent discussion. I'll always be a Yankee fan for life though.
I also enjoy reading, especially health magazines, baseball books, and various other things depending on what my obsession at the time is. I also love listening to music. I don't have one particular singer or group that I love too much more then the rest, but I like almost all pop music from the 80s through today's music.
Sorry for the very long post, somehow I just started writing and it turned into the never ending post, lol. Anyway, I look forward to some nice conversations with you guys.