Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello everyone my name is Rose and I am 58 years old. My hobbies are Twitter, gardening, classic cars, art, photography and spending time with my dog.
Recently I became very stressed when my beloved 12 year old dog was dying of heart disease and things were incredibly hard for me at work. Things have always been very challenging at work, I always end up in conflict with colleagues or managers, but as I get older it is more difficult to keep finding new jobs. This has finally led to me seeking an autism diagnosis after years of wondering if I am autistic.
I had my first meeting with a psychologist for my autism assessment last week. I was amazed at how much we talked about in that hour and a half. So many things from my childhood and adult life are starting to make sense. Lots of 'what ifs' and 'if onlys' started going through my mind but I am trying not to feel regret. I phoned my younger sister afterwards and she said she has thought for years that I am autistic (she thinks my Dad is autisitc too).
After my Norfolk Terrier died I realised that I could not cope without a dog as a best friend. A week later my husband and I adopted a Border Terrier who had been used for breeding and was not wanted now she cannot have any more puppies. She was very nervous when she first arrived but she is beginning to trust us (see photo below). I badly injured my ankle going on too many dog walks, so I am off work at present. In a way this is a good thing as it has removed me from a very stressful work situation. It has also given me time to think about the autism assessment process.
Finding this online community and reading some of the discussion threads has been incredibly helpful. It's wonderful to be among people who have had similar experiences.
Hi Rose welcome to the community,
it is a very sad time indeed when a family member passes on.
Yes I class my pets as family as they give unconditional love and help a great deal to de stress,
You probably have seen but late diagnosis isn’t unusual for us, more so for women as the usual early signs are just classed as shyness, or anxiety, or she will grow out if it.
I do like the new family member you have, she will settle in lovely, I also like your car, a Morris minor I think. Always wanted one myself, a car with much character and charm.
enjoy your time here and there are plenty of late diagnosed ladies here to chat with and you will be surprised how much they have in common regards getting through the years not knowing about Autism.
I am Male btw,
Hi nice to meet you.
You are so right about pets being members of the family - some people understand that, others seem to think losing a pet is like letting go of a piece of furniture. To me dogs have full personhood!
With hindsight it's all very obvious that I am autistic but when I was growing up in the 1960s and 1970s awareness was far from where it is now (and there's still such a long way to go).
Morris Minors are lovely little cars - mine is 1962 same year as my sister. Lots of nice details like the centre of the steering wheel and wheel hubs. Classic car shows are a complete Nerd Fest for me!
Our new family member is such a sweet little dog. There were years of neglect when she was being bred from, so there are challenges to overcome. However, love radiates from her and she sits on me like a weighted lap blanket calming me down.
Thanks so much for welcoming me to the community.
Thank you so much for the () and the car chat. You are lucky to have known people who have tractors. We had some in the grounds of my nursery school and I spent hours sitting on them. There is a vintage tractor club in our village and we see them out on runs sometimes, annoying impatient drivers but giving great joy to people like me! Being able to get parts and do repairs is one of the merits of the Morris Minor. They don't have the off road capabilities of the Land Rover but a Morris Minor belonging to the Archbishop of Canterbury did very well on a 1980 Himalayan Rally! The little dog is snoozing next to me. She has the loveliest snore. I am going to try and record it on my phone so I can play it back at stressful moments. Take care.
I certainly do remember bubble cars, car shows are relaxed and as everyone there is by nature into cars it is easy to talk about them, a common interest allows conversation. No struggles to create chit chat.
my work friend and his wife both owned tractors and did many tractor runs,
I always fancied a land river as they are totally replaceable, by which I mean everything can easily be changed if the need arises, very sturdy and reliable, go anywhere too.
I am glad you both share the interests so much. Enjoy your new family member and she will give back the love you give her, clever things dogs, they sense real people. And give unconditionally..
take care, oh and this is known as an aspie hug (), it is a virtual one so no fretting to give it,,,, its yours if you want it,,,
Do you remember bubble cars in the 1960s? Together with Morris Minors they were quite common where I grew up. There's a wonderful micro car museum in Lincolnshire where you can see them. We went on a drive out there when we owned a Fiat 126 which Stirling Moss said was the car he had the most fun driving. Older Volvo estates are lovely too! Built so well and lovely solid shapes. I think classic car shows combine lots of good elements. Conversation is easier for me with something technical to focus on and nobody minds if you just walk round and look. I like being out in the fresh air and we usually take a picnic. Best of all they are nearly always dog friendly! I really want to own a classic tractor one day, but I am struggling to persuade my husband that this idea is practical. He might agree to let me get a jeep or Landrover eventually as we live up north and sometimes get snowed in.
I was born 1962 so your moggie was a common sight fie me, cars had character then,,,oh and often lots of rusty holes and oil leaks, Lol. All part of the charm,
I own older Volvo estates, also attend classic car shows, well not often, but enjoy them when I do.