Mr Methodical

Another day, another revelation! I was working on the garden today, mowing, re-seeding, cleaning fencing... and halfway through I noticed something. Everything I was doing was in an order, a logical order. Items were brought out into the garden in order of their use, placed in the right places, and each job was performed in a methodical, logical way. First this. Then that. Then this. Then that. Even at the end of the work (seven hours in total) all the items were cleaned in order of dirtiness, and size, and then put back in their home in the right place.

I stopped at regular intervals to have a drink of water, or a tea/coffee, cold drink, and that's when I caught myself mentally going through the order of business... and I saw how it relaxed and soothed me. I was relaxed. It was a relaxing day.  I was really quite happy to have noticed how I approached things in this methodical, step by step, way.  I can see now how and why I sometimes get stressed: it's because I'm called upon to do something out of order, or out of sequence, and it is creates an internal stress. 

I'm not going to look anything up on the internet about this. Not yet. I'm almost certain it's related to autism, but it might not be. Anyway, I'm not going to look just yet. I'll wait and (hopefully) be able to read some of your experiences.

Does any of this ring a bell? Are there other Mr, Mrs or Miss Methodicals out there?

Parents
  • This is SO TRUE. I loved reading this even! 

    I think this is also how the Autistic brain is wired to learn according to several books I've read including Field Guide for Earthlings. And I think it's why so many have problems at school and with education. 

    My father would always say if you can "Learn the system of a thing you can learn anything". That system requires ordering. And I've also found that a common theme in research regarding the autistic brain is the ability to visualise or understand sequence, order of workings, know when there is a missing element (even if trouble identifying it). According to this, Autistic Individuals can, if given information and education in the way they are wired to intake it, keep society more fluid, in motion, properly functioning. 

Reply
  • This is SO TRUE. I loved reading this even! 

    I think this is also how the Autistic brain is wired to learn according to several books I've read including Field Guide for Earthlings. And I think it's why so many have problems at school and with education. 

    My father would always say if you can "Learn the system of a thing you can learn anything". That system requires ordering. And I've also found that a common theme in research regarding the autistic brain is the ability to visualise or understand sequence, order of workings, know when there is a missing element (even if trouble identifying it). According to this, Autistic Individuals can, if given information and education in the way they are wired to intake it, keep society more fluid, in motion, properly functioning. 

Children