Aspie Obsessions - Part two

Hello All,

Ah obsessions. 
   Our obsessions such as difficulty in public circumstances and being labeled as 'different or weird' are their lenses the world sees us through.   'Normals'  see everything Aspie-like as somewhat embarrassing to those around us.  All the views from Normal-oids does not bother me and should never bother any Aspie.  

Think of what these obsessions bring us:

1) A very good education that reflects on what we care about almost every day. An acquaintance of mine has recently discovered a real love for physics \ mathematics.  He is doing very well at university because of his obsession that led him to work at what he wonderful obsession he loves.

2) Peace of mind.  Our obsessions are rarely harmful.  Obsession time can be our most peaceful of our days.  Personally, I like to read 'all' the liner notes on albums (OK, CDs but I am old) whether I like the album or not. For instance, I know that bassist Leland Sklar has played with Linda Ronstadt,  James Taylor (2), Diana Ross, Hall & Oates, Jackson Browne, Phil Collins, Clint Black, Reba McEntire and George Strait to name a few.. No one else in the universe may care, I  but I do. Knowing of Leland Sklar has made my musical life better.  (See the bottom of the page.)

   I find enjoyment in listening to his bass lines that are idiosyncratic and like no other.  This makes my listening more complete and joyful. This obsession adds to body my happy life and whatever you want to obsess about do it as long as it is legal, non-carcinogenic and moral (keep track yourself of what that means) happily be obsessive. 

3)  Joy.  Joy can be found in an obsession.  By the time I was 8 I had a collection of over 1000 bottle caps.  Dirty, used, old, scuzzy, probably diseased rittled bottle caps. I  actively enjoyed pouring them out onto the kitchen linoleum floor and sorting them in different categories.  (My Mom let me get away with a lot, but this wasn't one of them -- I was sent outside).
   Dad was shewed. He knew how to handle his "... different kinda son." He ended this bottle cap obsession when he gave me a BB Gun obsession and in killing carp and catfish, "... killing 'em for the good of everyone on the lake."  
   Between the BB Gun, carp and the hot Sun, that summer is still one of one of my finest summers ever. Everyday and most evenings, taking my trusty Range Rider and shooting carp and catfish in the bayous. This was warm joy. I wore out 4 Range Riders before I went home for school.   I ran approximately 4000 BBs each through rifle.  This was an obsession, but it was also pure joy.


Be happy being what we are.  Smile.  Life is to serious to be taken serious.

Greetings My People,

    Welcome to my world, the Asperger world.
    This blog is my take on what being an Aspie is like.  Some of these pieces will be angry (see below). Hopefully the majority of the blogs will be about the lifestyle of Aspies, what we do to have fun, relationships (friends and loves), listen to, what we wear, sports ... basically our every day life. This blog mostly will have a pleasant, smiling spirit.  You see our version of reality is about 15 degrees off plum and that is OK!  We are what we are and anyone that says that 'this is odd' can go ahead and take their opinion and  their horse they rode in on and leave.  Off now with you.  ;-]

   All of that said, here's my first Aspie blog. If you like it let me know at f.glotz@yahoo.com or  if you have brickbats to throw, lemme know about it.
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    Once again we sit at our MACs (MS10 if you must) and start comparing our lives against 'the normals.' Having our friends go to the mall with us because, "being around crowds makes me ..." Realizing that you are hearing what came out of your mouth was heard at the same as the rest of the room" or calling the Sunday School President a 'moron'.  SOOOO WHAT! HE IS A MORON!

   I am tired of hearing 'normals' telling me that I could cure myself of Asperger's if only if, "I pulled myself up by my bootstraps" or going to a party and have your date say, "Whatever you do, don't start telling anyone about the wonder of prime numbers"  And my personal favorite, "You know that only children watch anime, grow up and be an adult."  And finishing with, "I'm the only adult in this relationship." and again "Grow up!"

Bulls__t!!!  The Aspie _______________

    I oft wonder why our way of doing things is such a threat to the normies. Why do they think that their version of reality is the only correct version.  Why the normies feel so superior because they,"... read a book' about people like you."

    When this happens you probably either move away or let the man know the  legal extent of corporal punishment.  But you never do.  Not to give a plug for violence it just feels that that person should be punished somehow.  But we still just walk away because we know what feels to be hurt by words.  Still, these things hurt a lot and we never show it.

    We are what we are!  If folks don't like what we are, it is their problem

Hello All,

We got our very first comment today, from Vancouver B.C., and I quote, “How can you possibly make fun of a life destroying syndrome.  Asperger’s limits relationships, jobs, self worth, everything! This is a very serious matter.  You should be ashamed!”

+++++++++++++++++++++ My Response +++++++++++++++++++++

Dear[ name redacted],

 I have not \ nor would not make light of any fellow Aspies because:

            0)   I am an Aspie. This syndrome has cost me many employment opportunities and friends.  Finding friends for a Aspie is difficult enough because everyone is an acquaintance. We rarely let folks in.  Friends are few and far between to the point that I have only had two friends in the past 25 years... and one has been my long suffering sweet wife. 

1         1)   More times than I care to remember I have been taken aside by management and told, “As momentarily satisfying as it can be, you should never put 'those guys' [corporate upper management] in a corner.  They don’t like it and they will have their piece of your hide."  The problem here and most everywhere else is that I do not know what I had even said!  
      So, please don't tell me how hard being an Aspie can be.   To quote my mentor at Weyerhaeuser, "If you were twice the communicator and half the designer, you could run  this place. Please get it together!" No I don't know what set that one off either.

      2)  True, I am a high functioning Aspie but I am still enough of an Aspie to have folks whisper behind me, “That guy is so weird! Do you what he said in Sunday School?  Notice that he always sits in the last row? Yeah, but wow!"  Yeah, this bothers me but I really don't care.  Probably should, but don't.

      3) Finally, there are way too many blogs about Asperger’s that approach the syndrome like leprosy.  These surely well meaning folks are so very dour and depressing to read that reading the Bell Jar is considered a high spirited read.

This blog is meant to show the day to day life situations, we all can work with or at least mitigate.

Life is too serious to be taken completely seriously.