Another New Person

I can do the extravert dance...all jazz hands and unicorns.....but there is a whole lot of me in a very small box staying hidden! 

Back down the rabbit hole x

I'm certainly an introvert.

Thank you! It's the name of a series of books that i really liked as a child by Tamora Pierce. Yes, i definitely saw myself in some of his behaviours. Little stuff like wearing the same clothes all the time or eating the same foods or my brain going off on tangents with associations. And the bigger things too, like obsessive interests, sensory overload, being bullied at school, struggling with adult relationships etc. That's an interesting topic. I would say overall i'm more left-brained because i tend to apply logic to everything, although i do have really imaginative dreams so perhaps i'm more right-brained when i sleep!!

Thanks very much for introducing everyone and explaining about virtual hugs! My writing style is probably the opposite of yours, i tend to be rather direct...but despite my short answer, be assured i enjoyed your post, it made me smile

Every human - NT or ND - has mental strengths.  Some are lucky and have equal strengths in both right-brain and left-brain thinking.  Such people, I think, are often the ones who go on to be great innovators.  People like Bill Gates, for instance.  My strengths lie in right-brain activities.  I can be logical, but I could never do stuff like higher math, computer coding, etc.  My brain simply can't handle that kind of information.  But I'll see connections between disparate things.  I'm able to use those connections to forge new entities.  I have Aspie friends who are brilliant at things like maths, or learning languages.  One of them writes code for computer games, and his 'talents' are much in demand.  My creativity doesn't work in that way.  I need input from a variety of sources, then I'll mentally forge them into a new whole.

I'm not sure if American writer Don DeLillo is on the spectrum.  But I read about the genesis of his magnificent, century-spanning novel 'Underworld'.  He was in a library and happened upon a newspaper front page from the '50s, which carried contiguous reports about a baseball game and a Soviet nuclear test (or maybe it was the launch of Sputnik).  From that overlap of ideas, the novel bloomed.  It is, for my money, the finest novel of the 20th century, about the 20th century.  That's how my brain works.  I forge links between different ideas, and my head does the rest.

Oooh now that is a guilty pleasure! 

Does life sometimes feel like a film....and you the audience...emotionally involved, following the narrative...but seperate from...

i’ll get The ice cream if there is an interval

Toffee popcorn, sickly sweet. x

ASD is a cow...we see so much but can’t articulate, feel so much but can’t be loved...etcetc

fancy some popcorn? 

Oh so true, worry but useless to help. xx

We all worry...it’s part of our skill set xx

I think I was naturally balanced but my education went a bit awry so I ended up art focussed. I was most interested in maths and physics until about 14. If I could have my time again I think I would study engineering or architecture. 

Definitely introvert flavour.

Missing Missy's presence and worry about her.

I guess I swing both ways! Lol....but occasionally lose my grip and fall into an abyss...

are you balanced Spotty and what flavour are you? Hehe

I'm sure you are a picture of balance Ellie!  I've also been wondering if we come in introvert and extrovert flavours too.

Didn’t realise that we came in left handed flavours. I guess I would be left brain.....but I can also appreciate the right handed stuff...music, art, literature etc.......hey, makes me sound quite balanced out! 

did you see the post on Aphantasia and imagination, it would be interesting to hear peoples thoughts on imagination of all kinds.

Nice to meet you.  I like your name.  I'm diagnosed, though late as I'm now 60 and I got the diagnosis in my 50s.  You should find many people on your wavelength here.  Do you identify with some of Chris Packham's traits?  He seems to be more what I'd call 'left-brain' autistic as he seems to have quite a scientific/mathematical bent.  I'm more right-brained.  I find the outside world quite difficult and confusing, so I make sense of it through my imagination.  Or, rather, I re-create it that way.  Look forward to seeing you around.

Hi there nice to meet you also, I am the trouble maker on here(joke) or protector of people, The ladies have beat me,,,,,, to telling you what a nice place this can be as no one will judge you,we all bounce along quite nicely but with bouncing the inevitable ups have downs occur, I have been deep in my hole wanting to hide but there is always an ear to listen or even a hand to reach out and offer to gently pull you up out of that dark place.

They know who they are, we all suffer and some far more than others, the three here ellie,spotty and I try to have a playful carefree post running,just one place where seriouse things can be left at the door, we can act silly or childish but it is good for the soul to know that we all need a little fun from time to time,

feel free to join in if you should happen to stumble upon Winnie the Pooh and piglet sailing a ship to autopia, 

oh yeah and I as you can see am a rambler, I go on and on and on.

One of our crew is absent lately and that is missfit61 , I hope she is well and returns soon, missy we are missing you,

oh and I offer virtual hugs! Which look like this () , so if ever you just need a quite hug then just say,

xx()()xx to the girls,

It seems quite likely that you will find some familiar thoughts here and there, hello. 

Yeah that sounds about right haha. I'm glad you've had a positive experience here. Thanks for the lovely welcome x

Hello fellow self diagnosed female :)....I got to 42 and had an eepiphany! Lots of women here...and as you might of noticed quite a group of people in our age group who are in the self diagnosed or recently diagnosed process.

joined this crew (what is the collective noun for those with autism? - a shutdown???   ) and everyone here has been so lovely and supportive...I have learnt lots, made some friends...and it has certainly helped x

welcome