An excellent story. You've succeeded in doing something I would have thought impossible... You managed to make Ralph not only a sympathetic character, but also one with which I very much can relate. Although I have never been officially diagnosed with the condition formerly known as AS (It is no longer recognized in the current DSM), I have no doubt in my mind that I have it. I learned about it when I was researching ASD (autism spectrum disorder) because of my son. It was a huge relief to realize that all of my odd quirks and challenges were something more than me just being a freak.
Thank you for a story which many will undoubtedly find informative and which I found all-too-familiar.
- Lynn
p.s.,Queenie, my own experience is that interacting via the Internet* is often easier than interacting in person, for several reasons:
- I find it easier to discern people's intent online, since emoticons are much clearer to interpret than nonverbal cues (tone of voice, facial expressions, etc.)
- I can take the time necessary to digest what is being communicated. IRL, I need an extra second or two to conclude that someone is being sarcastic.
- I don't have to worry about interrupting. I have a very difficult time joining in a group conversation because I can't get my timing right. Either I chime in too soon and wind up angering people because I am interrupting, or else I try to wait for an appropriate pause, in which case someone else starts speaking before I get a chance to. So I usually wind up spending my time just standing there listening to other people speak and nodding my head politely. I find interacting with more than one person at a time to be extremely draining.
*Excluding Zoom, Skype, etc.
Last edited by Lynn S. M.; 03/07/21 12:20 PM. Reason: added post script to Queenie
