Ladies and Gentlemen, did you know that the best way in the world to shave is by using cheap hair conditioner?
It is not drying, it is moisturizing. It lets the razor slide along. And it costs practically nothing compared to shaving cream. It soothes irritation and lets in moisture and it does it all in one step.
And yet, and yet, and yet... I have shared this information with many people, mostly of the female persuasion, and most of them don't even try it and none of them continue.
WHY WHY WHY
I think it points out an essential difference between the Autistic and the NT. I have zero problem opening a bottle of something labeled "Hair Conditioner" and using it off-label. But I think an NT does. I think it gives them a weird issue to be doing something so outside the rules, something so NON-conforming.
I don't have any problem being non-conforming. It is my natural state. Now, this is only because our society puts on so much pressure to conform. We have all suffered from it.
But it is not our fault. It really is the fault of our society.
In the decades (cough cough) since my birth, society has loosened up a LOT compared to when I was growing up. Not enough, certainly, but some: we have seen the flowering of geek culture, the acceptance of people who are good at computers and building things and creating the new.
It will get better, too.
But we still have the majority of people who feel such pressure to conform and go along that they lose track of their own individuality. They feel such discomfort by not fitting in that they will put up with all kinds of other discomfort, from tiny things like comfortable cheap shaving to enormous things like following their own hearts and declaring their own wishes.
I believe we can be a force for good.
It is not drying, it is moisturizing. It lets the razor slide along. And it costs practically nothing compared to shaving cream. It soothes irritation and lets in moisture and it does it all in one step.
And yet, and yet, and yet... I have shared this information with many people, mostly of the female persuasion, and most of them don't even try it and none of them continue.
WHY WHY WHY
I think it points out an essential difference between the Autistic and the NT. I have zero problem opening a bottle of something labeled "Hair Conditioner" and using it off-label. But I think an NT does. I think it gives them a weird issue to be doing something so outside the rules, something so NON-conforming.
I don't have any problem being non-conforming. It is my natural state. Now, this is only because our society puts on so much pressure to conform. We have all suffered from it.
But it is not our fault. It really is the fault of our society.
In the decades (cough cough) since my birth, society has loosened up a LOT compared to when I was growing up. Not enough, certainly, but some: we have seen the flowering of geek culture, the acceptance of people who are good at computers and building things and creating the new.
It will get better, too.
But we still have the majority of people who feel such pressure to conform and go along that they lose track of their own individuality. They feel such discomfort by not fitting in that they will put up with all kinds of other discomfort, from tiny things like comfortable cheap shaving to enormous things like following their own hearts and declaring their own wishes.
I believe we can be a force for good.
I may even pick up some hair conditioner at the dollar store. Moisturized legs sound great. Exploring new ways of doing things? Excellent! It isn't easy for society to make larger changes, but we are beginning to see them in the autistic community, regarding how we are perceived, included, and valued. 
