DSM---seeking to share enjoyment

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I do share information and I do talk about my interests. But I'm not good at the spontaneous stuff, for example lots of people were celebrating something like a football match being won and many people were hugging and laughing I wouldn't be doing as much of it and would feel awkward. On my last day of my health and social care course I did all the others were sharing the experience, getting all hyper and emotional and signing eachother's shirts and hugging, I just didn't have the urge to join in, I would have liked to but there was so spontaneity, I signed about 3 shirts. I felt kind of depressed afterwards about it. The thing is I do seek enjoyement but don't always know how to show it and join in.

Hmm. When I was a little kid I used to seek to share my enjoyment of my special interests with anyone and everyone. It baffled and upset me that other people weren't as excited as I was. I was the classic "little professor". Whatever was currently on my mind I talked to everyone about. Only as I got older did I got burnt out on special interests and stop trying to share enjoyment.

I don't match that part at all. It's everything *else* in that category of the criteria that gets me. When i was a kid and around people i didn't know very well is the only time i would have matched this('cause i pretty much avoided talking to anyone i didn't know really well back then)... But with my family i still did. Now when i'm not in the mood to try being social i just don't bother with that kind of thing... but when i'm around people i know, i constantly point out things of interest. Special interests a lot, but other things too. Like, if i thought a certain movie was funny, then i'll tell my parents they should watch it and then watch it again with them. If i'm around people i don't know and feel like trying to make conversation i'll point out things of interest, too. It's often about a special interest, yes... But sometimes it's just a random thing i see that i think is interesting or funny that i'll comment about. Sometimes their reaction is just something like "uhhh. yeah.. whatever..," but sometimes i'll sort of get a conversation going that way. But, yeah... All in all, it depends on my mood. When i do actually feel like talking, i point things out a lot, then start going on about them, and probably seem like a really random person that way. Although, i think even when i point out something really random, the topic usually seems to end up on one of the things i've been obsessing over lately. And i'll often end up pointing the same thing out over and over to different people because it's like "aha! i have a conversation starter now!" For instance... One of the DVDs on sale where i work was called "Silent Venom," and the cover had a snake that was obviously the body of just a regular Boa Constrictor, but with a very unrealistic-looking head that was probably computer-generated(with fangs and all). And i kept pointing out to people that the head didn't match the body, because the body was definitely a boa and there are no venomous boas. I must have brought it up 10-15 times with different people.

Thank you everyone so far for this most informative sharing of information. I think we are learning a lot from each other. I think it helps for us to discuss issues on the criteria, because sometimes they are hard to understand. And this is definitely a way to see a better understanding of how we operate. Even though some of us didn't share much, and others did, it points to the fact of, "you've met one person with autism...you've met one person with autism." I look forward to more comments on this thread. Thank you.

glider18