One small example of how Autism/SPD insight can change your world(and others)--for the better.

[SteveH]

I was at the store holding my basket of groceries. I was relaxed and patiently waiting behind a woman with a large cart of stuff. I thought I was aware of everything going on. Out of nowhere, a big guy yanks the basket out of my hand from behind and tells me,"I'll open this lane for you and get you right through." It startled me, and before I could get a reaction back to him, he said, "Did I scare you?" I followed him to the next register and responded, "Trust me, it was me, not you. That is so nice of you to open a register for me." We had a very nice chat as he checked me out. Warm smiles all the way around as I left. Two weeks ago I would have thought that he could learn a thing or two about approaching customers. I would have been disturbed and wanted to get away fast. I would have ended up being polite but cold--and my mood would have crashed. I guarantee that neither of us would have ended up smiling.

My recent Autism/SPD insights have been a bit overwhelming in context of who/what I am, my past, my future etc. In that small situation, the positive effect of this knowledge brought me back to earth in a very good way. George Carlin had this great line about the glass being half full or half empty. "Maybe the glass is too damn big!" I never fully got that until now.

 

[Gritches]

I love stories like this. Just goes to show how much power there is in knowing.

 

[MrSpock]

That's pretty cool. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Diagnosed2015]

You are learning the key to my "shield" of awkwardness (I'm extremely social, and I'm always making people laugh).

I take a situation, such as yours, but I write it out in a way that it sounds funny -- fiction. People think I add little details or comments to make them laugh, but what I'm actually doing is allowing them to (figuratively) "see" my thinking process.

I can find something funny or positive about almost any situation, unless I don't (makes sense, huh?). Most people I've met have "gotten" my humor, jokes or sarcasm, but I have a friend who is closer to my age than most friends, takes everything far too seriously, and is far less capable at his "chosen profession" than he claims to be (because I can be teaching him) but insists on showing or "teaching" me because I "love to learn."

Sure, I love to learn about things I'm interested in, and I learn them alone. Once in a while I might want a question answered, but I don't need a whole lecture and I'm already onto three more projects.

I have ADHD, so I try to say that I just, "...Process things differently...." but as each day goes on I realize how painfully different we actuallyy are (yet very similar -- friend is not ASD). I rarely get riled, very low key, laid-back; he's impulsive, doesn't listen to suggestions, and automatically insists everyone else is wrong.

I've stopped trying to understand, since I'm not big on having someone agree with me. I'd rather think of it as, "You don't have to agree, I can't force you to be right."

I've written extensively on Quora, as well as some other blogs (which should be starting up again) about how my life changed for the better since my diagnosis. I've gone 58 years without a "correct" diagnosis and, as one of my User ID's suggests, IWasWrite! (which refers to knowing that "something" was different, but assuming for my entire life it was mental illness).

Oh! The reason for this post. I wanted to share something I hope you will find as funny as I do/did.

I was standing in line at Walmart, and the woman in front of me placed a HUGE metal dish/bowl on the belt. I happened to look over at it and remarked (overly excited, maybe .. or just sounding silly), "Wow! How big is your dog??????"

She broke out laughing, turned it over, and said, "It's a Christmas Tree Stand!"