One thing I notice about her is that most of her closest friends (like me) are a lot older than her. Some of the issues she has about going out in public are not a problem for me: I don’t particularly care for noise or crowds myself. But when I was 26, all I wanted to do was go out to clubs and bars and all the exact type of places you describe as problematic.

I like to hang out with her because she has a lively wit, and we are interested in a lot of the same things, and she is ridiculously smart and yes, she talks too fast and is very non-linear, but I find that to be a feature rather than a bug. And I don’t mind accommodating…finding a quiet spot in a restaurant or making sure there’s a way for her to get out of the concert seat if she needs to leave for some reason. Part of why these things are easier for me is because I’m older, and maybe a little less self-centered than I was at 26, and I also tend to like people who are unusual or quirky in some way. I’m unusual in that I’m single, and I know it can be especially challenging when people start getting married and having kids.

Anyway, I wouldn’t discount having older friends. You might find them much more accommodating sensitive to these issues.

As an autistic trio of personalities sharing a body, all three of us can relate with varying degrees to this post.

Athena was always protected from the social reality of being made fun of in school…….and isolation……….by myself (Ivan) and The Integral……..

our protection only lasted while we were in school…….(talking about middle and high school and even before)……..when we got home……….the upset feelings would come……….we had no idea that we were actually separate from one another back then, we were just stumbling onward…….in school and in life………we did very well academically because our structure was the same every day……….wake up at 6 am, get ready with some yelling from mom or dad to hurry up, get on the bus, or drive if dad had time for that………(we had our learner’s permit then, I went and got us a license this past Feb., some 7 years after we started driving) be at school for 6 hours……come home veg out for 2 hours…………parents came home and nagged us to do our homework.

Same thing for several years……….college is a whole different ballgame………..

wow I blabbered alot………and didn’t even finish the story but I don’t want to completely hijack your blog with my own stuff……..

Thanks for sharing.

Ivan of athenivanidx

http://athenivanidx.wordpress.com