I was going through some of my old writings the other day and I discovered a few common themes woven throughout it all. For context, these notebooks were post-college and pre-mother: mainly 2003-2005. I wrote a lot during those 2 years and I didn't have the time or motivation to read them thoroughly, but I skimmed … Continue reading Old Writings
memories
Messing Up Such a Simple Thing
Sometimes I'll be going along, doing fairly well, and then I'll mess up again. In a big way. Patterns in my life often emerge from new situations and experiences because they aren't really new. These are things that have been happening my entire life, but that I never had the ability to describe or explain … Continue reading Messing Up Such a Simple Thing
Autistic Parenting
I've found that being Autistic has greatly influenced my parenting style and I'd like to delve a bit more into that topic. Many Autistic adults are parents. In fact, most of the Autistic adults I know, especially in person, are mothers. Interestingly enough, those whom I know have tended to gravitate towards gentle parenting styles and … Continue reading Autistic Parenting
Flashback Friday – Undergarments
TW: Puberty stuff, body image issues, misunderstanding. Underwear has always been a difficult topic for me. It's not the wearing of it that's most problematic, in my case. Rather, the things I find most difficult are other people's attitudes and expectations about underwear. Especially when they want to have a conversation with me about those … Continue reading Flashback Friday – Undergarments
Volunteering
Over the years I've tried to pay attention to my ability to do various things. However, I don't always manage to notice the relevant patterns until I've ended up in (multiple) difficult and/or embarrassing situations. Volunteering was one of the patternless things in my life until this month. From the time I was 12 years old, … Continue reading Volunteering
Flashback Friday – Christmas Eve Eve or Nap Day
I was around 12 or 13 years old when I discovered an amazing thing. If I took a nap on Christmas Eve Eve, the day before Christmas Eve, not only would Christmas seem to arrive faster, but I had an easier time navigating any family obligations that came up during that holiday. The discovery itself … Continue reading Flashback Friday – Christmas Eve Eve or Nap Day
Flashback Friday – My Lost Stuffed Dog
Photo description: white 1980s era stuffed dog peeking out of a red backpack with blue trim. I'd had my stuffed dog for as long as I could remember. He was my constant companion nearly everywhere I went. He comforted me when I was upset and slept with me every single night. He was my very … Continue reading Flashback Friday – My Lost Stuffed Dog
Election Eve Solace
I'm spending my time on this Election Eve primarily doing things that I enjoy. Watching the kids play with legos, working on my NaNoWriMo novel, eating comfort food (tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches followed by a dessert of Frosted Flakes cereal with the whole milk on the side so the flakes don't get soggy), … Continue reading Election Eve Solace
Flashback Friday – The Balloon
I was reminded this week of an incident that happened when I was in 1st or 2nd grade. It was a lovely fall or spring day in the Deep South, USA and we were having PE/Gym class outside. We first ran around the track, an exercise for which I did not care at all, and … Continue reading Flashback Friday – The Balloon
Truth, Emotions, and Potential Evaluation Outcomes
To prepare for my evaluation I had spent nearly two months searching through my memories, talking to people from my past, and writing things down. Mostly I was looking through the lens of likely being Autistic, but I was aware that there could potentially be another explanation that I hadn't considered or didn't know about. … Continue reading Truth, Emotions, and Potential Evaluation Outcomes
Mamautistic 