Williams Syndromer: I met one!

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And oh what an annoying creature she was.

She was at the table across from me.

I was sitting eating my sub, reading the paper. She kept talking to me.. out of the blue! Even though I had my face in the paper, she kept broaching small talk topics. First the weather, then the menu, this, that and everything. I gave as short of answers as possible. Non leading answers, no eye contact, no questions, but she couldn't clue in that I really wasn't interested in talking.

She had the elfin features, the typical Williams syndrome teeth, grey short cropped hair, middle aged. She wasnt eating or doing anything. She just marched in, sat down near me and started chattering away! For a second I wondered if she knew me. When I ignored her she started yakking away across the room to the kitchen staff.

When I was done, I tried an experiment and offered her my paper. She smiled, thanked me and took it. And promptly placed it on her table and turned away from it. I didnt think she had any interest, but apparently social decorum says you take it cheerfully. I figured an NT person that wasnt interested in it would say no thanks.

I know this annoying woman with Williams Syndrome too. She insists on talking to anyone anytime as if they were family.
When she greets me, I give her a "Don't say anything to someone with AS-stare" but to no avail...

Well I think it's cool. I'd have liked that happening to me.

How strange this boy whom I wasn't sure if he had WS or was just an exceptionally socially naive aspie approached me and some other girls today in the library and started asking us all sorts of questions about our courses. xD I was a little worried someone might take the piss out of him but there are a lot of ND people in our college (tons of people with down syndrome) so everyone seemed to take it well. I thought it quite sweet, he didn't mean any harm - he was just trying to be friendly. It reminded me of myself and my cousin when we were a lot younger and less aware of our social defects.

Yeah, that's what I thought at first (but than I saw his thread and his face, coincidently I'm sure, was a little elf-like. Cheers.

I know there are other auties/aspies at college but I've only met one before that (and I hadn't been diagnosed- but I have a feeling she recognised me for what I am).

It's kind of cool really. Also it makes me feel lucky that I'm not nearly as socially impaired as him- good job he's in a tolerant atmosphere because some people were getting a little creeped out in the end.

So THAT explains the little old ladies in the grocery muttering to themselves how much they'll enjoy this jar of marmalade. I pay no attention, and act like I'm deaf.

I have encountered people like that on subways in the past... I understand they cannot help how they are but those with WS would easily clash with people like "us". That is why if I go on the subway, I always bring my mp3 player along

Prof, what? I thought all of us talked to our vegetables. The veggies pay as much attention to me as my kids do.
If we want compassion (not pity) to be given us, we need to give it to the William's kids too.

I don't understand why you wouldn't like her if you knew she had that, was genuine and sociable because that is really who she is. I don't mind people who are genuinely like that.
What I object to are the fake people who go through the motions but really don't like me or think I am weird or crazy, or if certain things about what's going on around them aren't congruent with other things going on around them.
But someone like that who is just that way because that is who they are, I don't see why you object.

I dig the last few posts. I'm not social by nature but I can't get annoyed at people who are genuinely interested, not just going through the motions largely taught by them via socialization or because they are using me as a means to an ends. I usually get a little annoyed within the conversation but not at 'them'; afterwards I find myself strangely warmed inside, it's the genuine people who say the most profound things and who I feel are actually 'worth' my time, simply because they are genuine. It's refreshing and I don't feel nearly as drained by those types of people (when I can tell it is actually those types of people) because they are what they seem- no need for guessing social cues or trying to read between lines etc.

I suppose that's why I usually hate 'small-talk', but the above in mind does not count as such to me, it's meaningful.

BTW I agree with the NZ post, xD Although do agree with a few things- preconceived ideas in regarding /some/ other philosophers out there...

Goodness, that man strikes me as very subjective even in objective statements...