I hope this is the right forum. Anyway, I'm a twenty-year old Aspie who's had a really rocky road. School was bad, I decided to hold off on college to get a job, and it took me nearly two years to get one through the local Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Although to be fair, that extra year was only because I got hit by a car and ended up in the hospital with a tibial plateau fracture that took me months to fully recover from.
This whole time, my parents, especially my stepdad, have been breathing down my neck (obviously not while I was recovering from the accident; they were very understanding during that period). I have trouble getting my chores done, and I spend a lot of time on the computer, typing stories and surfing the internet. I keep getting told to get a job, to somehow speed up DVR's process, and am generally called lazy because they believe I should be spending my days keeping the house spotless while not job hunting. I got yelled at a few times, and accused of treating the whole thing like a 'permanent vacation.' I keep saying that I'm working on it.
I kept telling myself that once I got a job, I would be able to focus new routines around it to help get my chores done, and I would no longer have huge blocks of time to be called 'lazy.' I would also be able to start paying rent, giving back a little to the household. Things in general would be better.
Finally, DVR was able to get me a courtesy clerk position at Safeway. I like the job. Even though you socialize, you're given a general script to work off of basically, and it helps that I'm cheerful and well practiced (for someone with AS) in basic social rules. I did well, and more importantly, it took up time. I was able to focus more on my chores, and start paying rent. I started improving.
My stepdad noticed and even commented on how I was getting my chores done a couple of times. However, sweet vindication didn't come until tonight.
My little brother is going to be a senior in high school and he's an ass. Lately, I've even been doing his chores for him so we don't get in trouble for it later. He's constantly putting me down, and thinks that 'geeks' are somehow lesser human beings. He's been called out for this a few times, but he's yet to change anything.
Today, I arrived home at work to find that my laptop was gone. My stepdad mentions that he found the door wide open when he got home. I knew this couldn't be right. I had locked it when I left. I knew it had to be my little brother. Some investigation, finding my little brother's laptop gone, but nothing else missing, and him admitting over the cell phone (he was out with his friends) he hadn't done anything to it, and it's clear that my stepdad has taken our laptops because we left the door open (My and my little brother used to have trouble remembering to lock the door). It soon becomes clear that while I DID lock the door when I left for work (something that my little brother vouches for) said brother had come back home briefly and forgot to shut and lock it when he left himself.
My little brother says that he's coming home once it's clear that he's in trouble. I plan to make myself scarce for the lecture, but my stepdad tells me to stay, saying that I'm going to hear it. I argue, but he insists. At this point, I start to panic, thinking that I've done something wrong. He seemed to sense it, and tells me that I'll 'want' to hear the lecture. I pick up the cue that nothing bad was going to happen to me, and in fact, I was going to hear something good. He then tells me where to find my laptop.
My little brother gets home and I'm giddy. We gather in the living room. My stepdad asks my little brother why he left the door wide open. What follows is a lecture on how my stepdad is tired of my brother's procrastination and refusal to try. Then comes the best part, 'Especially in comparison to your sister. She gets her chores done, she's done many of your chores. Yes, she has challenges (I was diagnosed in elementary school). She knows that, I know that and her mom knows that. But she's working on it. She's trying. Which is more then I can say for you.' I mention he should treat me nicer, and my stepdad agrees, pointing out that I get many of my brother's chores done, and in return he gives me nothing but grief.
I could have broken down in tears of joy. It was the culmination of everything I had been working for and proof that my life was now much better.
After the lecture was over, I walked over to my stepdad, hugged him, and said, "You were right. I did want to hear that."
I feel like a million bucks right now and just wanted to share that.
04 Aug 2012, 12:21 am
