Hi everybody,
I'm a highly functioning aspie: able to have a steady job and have a few friends. I'm 47 and have lived alone when I left my parents my entire life. I used to be happy years ago being by myself and having some "me" time. I didn't feel like dealing with people after I got home after work. Starting roughly 15 years ago, I started talking with people more and enjoying it. I've trained myself to try to listen and not dominate the conversation on an obscure topic or subject like many Aspie's do.
I started a new job last August in metro Chicago and sometimes feel REALLY lonely. I feel the problem on my last 2 jobs that I had some people I could talk with about some of favorite things: the simpsons, No reservations on the travel channel, etc.
I realize people are there at work to do a job and not talk. I admit I've used work as a social outlet to talk with people. On my latest job, a whole day can go by where you don't talk with people and have a good talk that last 15 minutes. When that happens, I get lonely.
I have a co-worker that loved to talk with me about old TV show and politcs. I would like to stop on the floor below my floor below and have a few brief conversations once or twice a week.
Now my co-worker works down in a lab in the basement a lot further away from me. The people sitting in my area don't really talk. I hate days where I can't have a nice 5 or 10 minute conversation.
What to do?