Hello!
...Where do I start?
Well, first of all, my name is Kuramu. It’s the Japanese translation of a cartoon character’s name that I like. I’ve gone by many names on the internet, so you can either call me Kuramu, or Syd, which is my real-life nickname.
Now... I guess I should share about why I’m here, huh?
Well, for the past year and a half, I’ve thought that I’ve had Aspergers. The keyword here is THOUGHT, mind you. I’ve noticed how I’ve only had one, maybe two, interests. Those interests are all about cartoons and animation, which vary from series to series. I can name off most of the people who have done storyboards on modern Cartoon Network shows, and if said storyboarder went on to do other things.
(For example, CH Greenblatt did storyboards on Spongebob episodes like “Band Geeks,” “Something Smells,” “Fear Of A Krabby Patty,” and others. He went on to work on The Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy as a storyboarder (for episodes “Underfist” and “Billy And Mandy Save Christmas”) and the voice of Fred FredBurger. He went on to create Chowder (and storyboarded for “Chowder Looses His Hat,” “Hey Hey, It’s Knishmas,” The Toots,“ etc.), and, when the show got canned, he worked on FishHooks for Disney. That’s where he is now. [Notice a pattern here?])
I’m also very socially awkward. I don’t feel like I fit in, or that I want to talk about the subjects that teenagers like to talk about (for example, one day, a bunch of girls were talking about bra sizes. Why do you want to talk about something like that?). I’d rather talk about cartoons - the characters, the relationships, who worked on it, who did what, the works! I find animation and such absolutely wonderful - it’s to the point where I wish we were still in grade school, so I could talk about Pokemon and stuff like that with others.
When I’m in groups, I also clam up. I become shy, I don’t talk much, and, when I do speak up, I feel that people don’t pay attention to what I have to say. They’d rather talk about their boyfriends and all of this girl stuff, rather than my interests. However, even though I don’t talk in groups, I do listen to other people’s conversations.
Now, as I mentioned before, I THINK I have Aspergers. It is not a confirmed thing. I’ve ran into groups on LiveJournal for Aspergers and Autism, and I got the feeling that they didn’t want people like me there; that they only wanted people who knew, for certain, that they had Aspergers or Autism. I’ve talked to some of my Skype buddies, who told me, “If you like maps, you’re an Aspie. If you don’t, then you’re not one.” I’ve told some teachers how I’ve been feeling, how I feel that alot of the traits match up with my actions and thoughts. They told me that it’s impossible, and that people with Aspergers don’t pick up on their own social patterns and the like. I told my mom, and she told me that I don’t have Aspergers, because I had so many tests done as a baby to see if I suffered from any other problems, other than mild Cerebral Palsy, and that they would have caught it by now.
I really want to get tested. Badly. Until then, I need to find communities that can help me through this, whether it’s what I think it is, or if it’s just a long-lasting phase. I hope Wrong Planet can help me either way.
Side Note/Question: My younger brother, for absolute, has Aspergers. If I have any questions about him (such as, “Why can he hear the music coming from my headphones when it isn’t that loud?” and such), can I ask the forum members?
~ Syd
(Kuramu)