It occurred to me, after writing my previous post about autistic friends, that I might have made all autistic friendships seem overly simple and easy to navigate. In reality, of course, there are still potential missteps when being friends with and conversing with other autistics - even good long-term autistic friends. We're human and certainly … Continue reading Navigating a Minefield vs Strolling Through the Woods
understanding
My Autistic Friends
Happy discount chocolate day! These are my thoughts about my lovely autistic friends and how much I value their friendships. In some ways it's a love letter, but more than that it's full of gratitude and other deep feelings that I cannot quite label with emotion names right now. Maybe someday 🙂 Spending time with other … Continue reading My Autistic Friends
Autistic Disclosure
Telling people I'm autistic is something that I've definitely gotten better at doing since last August when I received my official diagnosis. I've been extremely open about being autistic in my local writing community and haven't hesitated to tell people who know me well in real life aside from a few family members whom I … Continue reading Autistic Disclosure
Anonymous Writing and A New Name
It's no secret that I blog anonymously. That decision is not one that I've made lightly. I've given it a great deal of thought and I believe that, for now, I will continue being anonymous here. In order to better facilitate my online interactions and remain anonymous, I've come up with a pen name that … Continue reading Anonymous Writing and A New Name
Betrayal, Lies, and Dependence; one year later
For the last few weeks I've been struggling with  many things. Struggling isn't unusual, of course. I think that everyone who's autistic is well acquainted with struggling often in everyday situations. But the intensity of my recent struggles has been beyond that which I'm accustomed to dealing with. I'd go so far as to call … Continue reading Betrayal, Lies, and Dependence; one year later
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
Conversational Depth Pt. 2
This is continued from Conversational Depth Pt. 1 from a few days ago. Wordings are what I've always seen as important. Phraseology, terminology, vocabulary, and even spelling although I'm much more particular where I'm concerned than where others are. Over the years I've come to realize that others see words differently than I do and … Continue reading Conversational Depth Pt. 2
Conversational Depth Pt. 1
I'm a logophile. I love words and their meanings. I also enjoy learning about people and why they believe the things they do. Those things sometimes make a nifty combination. When I express myself well, it can be a pretty amazing thing. When I have the time and the energy and desire, I can understand a … Continue reading Conversational Depth Pt. 1
Going to the Dentist
I had a dentist appointment last week at which I got a temporary crown and cleaning. My jaw felt like someone had punched me for the first 2-3 days afterwards. The visit started off poorly from the beginning, with me forgetting to bring money and having to go back home for it. So, instead of … Continue reading Going to the Dentist
Body Language – When the Knowledge Doesn’t Transfer
Sometimes I say, rather hyperbolically, that I didn't know about non-verbal communication until I was nearly 29 years old. It's a nice sound-bite, but like most nice sound-bites, it's not strictly true. I did know about some types of non-verbal communication before then. I knew that shrugging meant "I don't know." I knew that nodding meant … Continue reading Body Language – When the Knowledge Doesn’t Transfer
Mamautistic 