Adults On The Autism Spectrum

@mamacita I love your words and so true you do have to love yourself before you can love others . We have to have our joy in living .

@gingerwgingerw,
Good Monday to you!
Are you home from your seminar?
Did you bring us a souvenir?
Did you have fun?

Looking forward to your stories of your travels and interactions out in the real world. Anyone else taking a trip?

Share with us.
We would love to hear your stories.

Remember. We are better together.

Mamacita

by the way safe drive to new mexico and don't chat about are there yet or I spy with my little eye

@sirgalahad, Autie friends and Allies, a very happy Tuesday to you! How is everyone doing? This is Mamacita, here on Mayo Clinic Connect.

I hope you find what you are looking for. Particularly, I hope that you find what you are looking for here

Mayo Clinic Connect has a group for everyone. If you need to connect with someone regarding Autism, or Depression, Anxiety, Diabetes, Dementia.....or if you just need to talk. And know that someone hears you.

Adults are being diagnosed every day who have lived their entire lives not knowing they were Autistic. Always feeling less than, wanting to fit in and have friends like everyone else. Knowing that you are different, but never understanding why. Misdiagnosed, year after year

If you identify as being on the Spectrum, or if you are a friend or family member who supports their Autie, we need to hear from you. Your voice matters.

I hope you will join us here from time to time. We'd love to talk! We have a place at the table set for you. Coffee or tea?

Mamacita

Eeeek! I am so excited to share with you all some wonderful bits of information that hopefully you will find useful on this Autism journey. Stay tuned for "Breaking News" on all things Spectrummy. Have to go run some dull, boring errands in "real life" but as soon as I return, I will fill you in on some amazing information you won't want to miss. So please, check back with us later on today for helpful information that will make all of our lives run so much better.

Remember, we are better together!

Mamacita

@mamacita It's always nice to have something positive to look forward to! ;))
Ginger

@mamacita Yes, I am back. I will never regret doing this training, but in all honesty, the sensory overload almost did me in. I could isolate myself in class, being in the front row, on an aisle. The communal eating in a fairly small space, with the noise factor and strangers was very tough. In addition the actual flights were very rough on me. While I was gone of course we have still been in escrow and there have been some issues. All of this beat me down pretty good and now I am fighting a cold or stress induced discomfort. That's why I have laid low here. Sorry no souvenirs. We were in class from 8 a.m. to about 5 every day or later, and just no time to get out anywhere. Shoot, I had to grab a refrigerator magnet saying Rhode Island at the airport on my way out on Thursday morning! I was able to share about Mayo Connect with several class members, so that was good. We are posed to close escrow next Monday, and leave Saturday to drive up there, hauling our travel trailer which will stay there. Sellers are renting back for a month. I promise to post a couple of pieces I did during the training. Thank you to all. And my apologies for jumping around on this post.
Ginger

@gingerw Volunteer Mentor, and everyone here, welcome back!!! Seems like we all have been very, very busy lately. Business trips, illness, training. You name it. Seems like the time of the year that is "supposed" to be the most relaxing turns out to be the busiest.

Well, in light of that observation, I have a proposition for all of us to consider. We already have our Volunteer Mentors here who are available to help wherever they can. We also have our virtual Spectrum Cafe where we drop by to relax with friends, new and old. (Creativity and imagination are very soothing to the soul, whether one is Neurotypical or on the Spectrum.)

Now, I would like to propose a sort of Book Club for our special group. Sharing our feelings about being adults on the Spectrum is what we are all about here. Whether you are an ally (A friend or family member who is encouraging and supportive of their Spectrumite) or whether you are a card carrying member of the Autie Society, you guys....there are so, so many awesome books out there just for us!

We are driving right now and I cannot reach the catalog I got in the mail. But surely by tomorrow, at the latest, I can return here with the names of a couple of books I really would like for us to read together. Knowledge is life. Truth is freedom. I for one am really excited about the possibilities for communication amongst the members of this community. When I looked at the titles before me, one after the other, I told myself "I have to get that one. And this one. Oh! That one is perfect!"

The older I get to be on this journey, the more I realize that I don't have to wear a mask any longer to fit in. I don't have to look at all the people who are "perfect" and have all the "right" answers for my image in the mirror. When I look in the mirror, I want to see me. Just me. I care about each and every person who comes here, whether they leave a post or ask a question or not. One of my goals in life is to treat myself the way I treat others.

You caught that, right? See, the thing is, we Auties tend to put ourselves last. We are so desperate for friends, we lack boundaries at times and tolerate injustices that others would not. Sweeping generalization, yes, I agree. But it happens.

Point. We have said it before and I will say it again. We are better together. Together we can share, learn, and grow. We can live life to the fullest, no matter what.

This is all I got for tonight, me lovelies. Let's talk more later, shall we?

Mamacita

@mamacita I look forward to seeing the book titles you suggest. I wanna join this Book Club! We are on the road, too, and camping, as we sign for our new house tomorrow. Then a lot more things to do by Wed night, and head back home to start packing. That 750+ miles each way will become very familiar as we move loads of our belongings up. I am nervous about moving into a new town, and literally not knowing anyone. It is such a small place that everyone will know who I am, the only stranger around. But I get to be "me".
Ginger

@gingerw It's so nice not to have to pretend or be someone your not I know you'll love a small town I,ve been in a small town all my life yes curiosity from people but be yourself they will accept you for you This is small town friendlinus You will find some who will try to pigeonhole you but disregard them I,ll come along for the book club