What is my take on Autism? Well it’s a massive part of my life, even if I do occasionally forget I actually have it! Seriously, I can go a few weeks before I remember…it’s weird sometimes but that’s just how much it doesn’t alter my life as it once did. A long time ago when I didn’t fully understand it, it made life hard for me and I couldn’t always do the things that I wanted to do because of that. Many would assume that having Autism would be a sign that I won’t go far in life, I only have a certain amount of things I am capable of doing by myself and it’s embarrassing to know that people have thought this about me before. To be thought of as inferior for something that they were told that I had…when my school was told, I felt humiliated because I was taken out of most classes and shoved into a small group of troublemakers to learn Agriculture…I had no interest in it because it wasn’t what I wanted to do…no offence but I don’t want to learn how to drive a tractor when I know I’ll never be doing it as a career! What a waste of time! Something I will never forgive! Ever! It’s what motivates me to keep going and to prove everyone wrong!
Does It Affect My Day To Day Life?
Many people will assume that because I have Autism that a day will be complicated for me, that I won’t be doing anything like normal people do, like go to a job, spend time with friends or work on a project that matters a lot to me and many people in the past have been quite dumbstruck and shocked when it turns out I live a very ‘normal’ life. Never get why so many people look like their mind has been blown because someone with Autism acts just like they do. Ok so maybe not everyone with Autism will do that, some will fit the stereotype and for some, it only takes 1 to assume that all are the same!
Here are just some of the things I like to do on an average Day, I
- Have Breakfast
- Go To Work
- Do Household Chores
- Exercise
- See Mates
- Go on Dates With My Wife
- Play Video Games
- Blog
Doesn’t sound that boring to me…I might not do all of those things every single day but I like to keep myself busy and to have a challenge all the time, keeps me going but no matter how much I tell people, they just say ‘But your Autistic…you can’t do any of that’ I just normally shut off the conversation because the person I’m talking too is too simple for me and just believes everything they read online, not worth my time.
What annoys me are the assumptions that I don’t live an interesting life, people just assume because of what I have and it irritates me because people make their mind up before they even get to know me and it’s a little unfair and not very observant for others to just decide that by themselves…bit lazy if you ask me! When I meet someone, I don’t decide what kind of person they are after two minutes, I spend time with them and learn from them what kind of person they are! A bit of effort goes a long way people!
With my Autism, I feel like I’m a slow starter when it comes to interaction, well compared to other people I know and have known in the past, I’ll eventually come out of my shell and be ok with an individual such as talk to them more and feel comfortable around them but it takes time for me to get to that stage and sadly, not everyone can wait that long but if they can and you get to that stage, you know that you have a real good friend with you! Makes it worth it if someone always stands by you and understands that you won’t always be the life of the party, that you might need to cool off sometimes in social interactions and that you might not always want to go out to the pub to get drunk all the time, sometimes going to see a movie or having a games night can be just as fun.
What Do I Think About My Autism
When I was a teenager, it was the worst thing about me! What else do you want me to say? As a teen, I hated that I had Aspergers which was what I called it at the time! I hated myself and everyone else around me, I shut myself away for 5 years and made many mistakes during that time but over time, I learnt from my errors and spent time letting the pain change me, it got to a point where I didn’t want to feel the pain anymore, I was sick and tired of being told by family, doctors and others what I was unable to go for in my life so I told my doctors to back off and refused to see them anymore, I refused help in school and went on my own to college and I haven’t looked back since 2006. I wanted things to change and it took time but it happened, slowly but surely, I met people and made friends, I met my wife, I got good marks and got into University.
How did I suddenly turn it all around though? Simple really, I just stopped seeing my Autism as an obstacle…I mean it’s not like I can actually see it, it’s not chained to my leg and dragging me down…it’s all in my head and it can stay there if I want it to. I know not everyone can do that and remember that not everyone with Autism is the same so stop saying that we are you stereotypes out there who Google everything!
I look at myself in the mirror and I know that I have proved them all wrong because I worked at it every single day. I didn’t care what anyone else said, that I couldn’t do this or that, I ignored them and went on to succeed at it because I knew I was capable. I learnt once that you don’t always need a lover, parent, friend or teacher to be the one to motivate you to accomplish something and get somewhere in this world, sometimes all you need is your own self belief that you can go out into the world and make a difference, screw it if someone tells you that you can’t do something! That’s not arrogance, that’s confidence and I will always believe that anyone with Autism can achieve their dreams and prove their doubters wrong…no one will ever unconvince me of that. You might look at these words and think that I have no idea what I’m talking about but if I have learnt something in this life it’s that if I want something, I have to go and get it myself, I can’t always wait for others to do it for me. I had enough people write me off and assume I’d never get married, have a job or go to University….done all three! By myself, I didn’t have help because I believed in myself and in the end, self confidence helped me a great deal and I know others need that special someone to help them be confident and you do what works for you, DO THAT! Always be grateful they are there to help you! Cherish your loved ones who love you through thick and thin!
I’ll finish here for now, thank you for reading, feel free to subscribe for more of my ramblings!
The Northern Light 