I enjoy Christmas, this is how. I was diagnosed at university, aged 30. This explained my previous difficulties, but I needed to bury it. I graduated in life sciences but went into IT. A not very happy career, and Christmases were painful – why can’t I join in and be happy. I felt isolated. I was in my late 60s, tired, and I decided to come clean. I announced to the nice people I meet daily in the doggy park “I have autism”. It seemed that everybody suspected that, but nobody cared. Probably for the first time in my life I felt free and relaxed.
I decided that there are two main sub-species of people. Homo sapiens neurotypical (NT) and H.sapiens neurodiverse (people like us). I decided to study the behaviour patterns of NT like other biologist study the fascinating behaviour of dung beetles (Scarabaeoidea).
Christmas is a good time to study NT. I go to department stores and watch NT frantically buying presents. I try to work out how do they know what the intended receipt might want. I see what presents they buy and try to work out what the recipient might look like. Next to the restaurant areas where I can observe NT enjoying their parties. How do they know what to say and when to chuckle?
At home I conform. I put out my Christmas cards – I have been collecting them for years, and I usually get a new on each year from my accountant. I don’t have a TV and I can relax in the quiet with food and wine. I think of poor old NT having to worry about Last Posting Dates and receiving visitors. I feel I am so lucky.
How about you?
