glider18's autistic irony

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So I married over 20 years ago, and my wife and I waited nearly 7 years to have our first of two children. I hadn't heard of Asperger's back then. But this was in the 1990s before a lot of this new fangled computer devices took hold of the world. And I used to engage tightly into my own world (a world of autistic special intense interests). I would remain self-absorbed into stuff while my wife probably wondered why I didn't engage in as much conversation as most husbands (but I've seen plenty of guys spend much time away from the wife---I have always tended to be a family man). But I was home most of the time, except when I was at work. And I just didn't communicate much (autism you know).

Having two sons changed me a lot---as you can imagine. But I always felt like I should do more with my sons (but I was almost always at home at with them when work was over).

Then came the diagnosis. It was now 2008. After years of wondering why I was so unusual, the puzzle had finally been solved. In Cincinnati, Ohio I was officially diagnosed with Asperger's. I underwent therapy in order to learn to communicate better.

And now...the irony of my world. Since the time I was diagnosed and learned how to communicate better with my wife and kids...the electronics age has given my family such wonders as the Kindle, etc. And the more I attempt to engage in family communication, the more my family is becoming locked into the Kindle and computers. I now know what they felt like with me.

Strange how as we watch television (Netflix, etc.) as a family, I can set there with my attention focused solely on the TV, but they have to have some device (Kindle, laptop, etc.) in their hands while they watch TV. Even in the car as I drive to town and am willing to talk, they are seemingly locked into the electronics age---miles away from me.

I guess I had it coming.

Sorry...just feeling a little low tonight.

Isn't this a good thing, NTs are becoming more like us!

I was thinking about this not too long ago. I remember a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode where a type of video game was introduced on board the Starship Enterprise. As crew members began playing it, they felt a tremendous joy and became so absorbed into the game that they could not tear themselves away from it. Hmm, kind of like today isn't it?

It's another variation of the lotus eaters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus-eaters

The Star Trek story, I mean. The reality is definitely comparable.

My favorite kind of socializing is sitting in the same room with family, each using electronic device to do our own thing. Another good kind if eberryone else engaged in conversation while I am using my iPad in the same room. I did this at Thanksgiving dinner and plan to do it again for Christmas.

Life is full of circles, ain't it?

I would read it as a reboot on "The Trouble With Tribbles" - or maybe the episode with the spores. I'm not terribly sure, never was a hardcore Trekkie. That's right, I said it :sob: I'm a fraud.

Lotus Eaters was also a movie starring Michelle Meyrink who I love me some of, even though it was set on some island in Canada-do loti even grow there, wth?

But OP serves up a healthy portion of food for thought; I think what helped me fly under the radar so long was that my brick-and-mortar interests were in areas that kept me social just enough to prevent my skin from turning translucent and my vocal chords from seizing up - that and having another 2 or 3 people in the room with a guitar strapped on makes one suddenly not as weird