Hi vacp83 and welcome to the wrongplanet. I was diagnosed with Asperger's on November 8 of this year. Of course we on the spectrum have always known something was different in our lives. And I always felt like I was the only person in the world like me. Did you feel that way? After getting the official diagnosis, it was like a big window opened and I realized I wasn't alone in this world. I have wrongplanet to be a great portal of communication for me. I greatly respect the members in here and enjoy communicating with them. I will tell you that occasionally you might come across someone who is ranting and raving---so don't get too alarmed if that happens.
My experiences in life with Asperger's has been one laced with dreams, ambitions, fun interests, and few friends. But I have never been lonely. I have been married for 19 years, and when I first dated my wife to be when I was in high school, I educated her on the history of roller coasters. What a way to begin a courtship. I don't know why she stuck with me. That was in 1983, (we dated 7 years before we got married), and now in 2008, I am in my 21st year of teaching in a public high school.
You can check out my profile and see my interests. I love music and play professionally and in churches. I am a church organist, and I like to perform on hammered dulcimer at area churches with a ministry on hope.
People have always known I was eccentric. At first, I was naive to this, but as I grew into an adult I realized how people felt about me. But I enjoy being unique and eccentric. That can probably be best seen not only in my unusual interests, but also in my eight tattoos so far.
I have made one big breakthrough this Christmas season. One of my obsessions was in Christmas trees. In the past years I have put up 35 fully decorated trees in my house. They ranged from 3 feet to 10 feet tall. This year there are only 7 decorated trees up in the house. And four undecorated ones upstairs. I know it's still a lot, but I have made progress there.
I don't believe in getting rid of our obsessions and interests, but the Christmas tree thing was a little too far since you could barely get through the house for them---not to mention the electric bill.
In my basement I have a work in progress---a 28 foot by 26 foot HO scale model train layout. The focal point is a complete amusement park with a wooden roller coaster built from one of the historic coaster blueprints I collect.
One room of my house is filled with magic tricks and illusions and unusual historical artifacts including a piece of fabric off the Graf Zeppelin (sister ship to the Hindenburg), an ancient Hopewell Indian tool, a piece of a burnt sailing ship from the 1800s, an original Hollywood script, a master dub reel of a gold record (the actual reel that the records were made from), etc. etc. etc.
I am unusual---but I am not alone. And you are not alone.
Well, you wanted to know a little bit about the experiences of fellow Aspies, so I thought I would share some about me. And as for advice---even though we Aspies have our ups and downs, life is generally good if we allow it. We should take great pride in our weird interests and enjoy them to their fullest. I love being an Aspie, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. If some doctor offered me a pill that could cure my Asperger's, I would not take it. I do not want to exist as the so-called "normal" person. Please take pride in Asperger's---I see it as a gift that has enriched my life.
Good luck to you. Please communicate with me if you want to know more about experiences such as with college, jobs, etc.
16 Dec 2008, 5:45 pm
Hiya! I'm 25 and I've just been diagnosed. Would like to talk to other Aspies and find out about people's experiences. Any advice?
