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.
Welcome, Rose.
What a wonderful picture. It instantly reminded me of my Grandad's terrier sitting on his knee in his old Hillman Avenger when I was a kid! I'm also rather partial to classic car rallies, steam fairs and transport museums; I don't get to as many as I'd like as I don't drive myself, but it's always something I check out if I stumble across one, and I always try to go to the annual Jowett get together in nearby Bradford (I'm very partial to Jowett Jupiters!)
Hello lovely to meet you. It is really lucky that our little dog likes cars - we had no idea if she would when we adopted her. I think she associates being in the car with a nice walk somewhere. How wonderful that the photo reminded you of your Grandad's terrier and his Hillman Avenger.
I'm glad you mentioned the annual Jowett get together - we're not far away so we might try and go next year. I have always admired Jupiters and Javelins and I like them even more after finding out via Google that Jowett was a stubbornly independent car manufacturer based in Idle!
One of the best things we ever did was a trip on the Waverley paddle steamer - the last sea going one in the world. The engine room was incredible. I also love visiting the beam steam engines at Ryhope near Sunderland. Watching them work is mesmerising and it's a lovely place to warm up on a cold day!
Thank you so much for welcoming me.