So, this is where you all are. Hi!! !

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Love the name 'Wrong Planet'.... where I'd felt I'd been living for 51 years... until yesterday!

Self-diagnosed, purely by chance, after researching the condition on Wiki yesterday, not in relation to myself at all (never even heard of it before). As I continued reading through the 'Characteristics' I immediately recognised most of them, though these days, some of them have been left behind in my younger years.

Then today I joined this forum and spent some time reading through the intro's. What a revelation! So much more that I recognised in myself. It feels like I've finally found the race I belong to and they're down here on Earth after all! lol

Now that I know what it is that makes me different to most people, I think I might actually start relating to them better and might fit in more. This process has been continuing through my life already but I really think that knowing will help. Of course, I'll never be quite the same as them but I don't really think I want to be. I'd just like to be able to integrate a little better.

Btw. I chose 'Spock' as my avatar because the character was one of my childhood heroes and just today I learned that Spock was one of a few famous fictional characters who displayed characteristics similar to aspies. In fact, I've learned that most of my 'heroes', both real and fictional, were typical aspies.

Good to know that I'm not an alien who was somehow magically implanted into my mother without her knowing and for no reason apparent to myself after all! lol

hi, stringy,

i'm 57 and diagnosed myself while reading about my nephew's AS. it was enlightening and a bit of a relief. i know what you mean about having learned to compensate. i just learned small talk after age 50.

welcome.

Hello Spock! ... hmmm I mean Stringy lol, and welcome to WrongPlanet!

I also like Spock, great character.

Live long and prosper (dif tor heh smusma), I'm not really a trekkie, but I do like Star-Trek

Welcome Stringy, to wrongplanet.net. We wish to thank you for choosing us as your tool for discovering yourself and your eccentricities. Here is a turnip. Please keep this turnip on you at all times, as it is used for identification. The turnip can also be used as a tool to fend off trolls, so it is quite useful.

Hello Stringy. Sounds like we are in the same club. I'm 51 and have only put a name to my condition after my son was diagnosed and his Doctor looked me square in the eye and said "you know, it runs in families, right?" Anyway, welcome aboard. I am hoping to build some friendships with people who understand me and who don't mind my endless princess bride/star trek/lord of the rings/Christmas story/harry potter references.

A big thanks to all for the welcome and thanks for the turnip squid. I'll keep that somewhere safe safe till it's needed.

Rocket319. I'm pretty sure I've inherited it from my late father, though neither of us have been diagnosed or even tested for anything. Like myself, he loved to go for long walks in the countryside alone. He didn't like to attend parties (though I do btw) and throughout his entire adult life was happy to have just two friends. He was also very 'logical' most of the time.... something which used to cause a lot of friction between him and my mother who always seemed emotionally unstable to me but probably wasn't at all. lol.
Even as a young child the similarities between my father and Spock's character were obvious to me.
It was a great loss to me when he died (many years ago now) not just because he was my father but also because he was the best friend I ever had. In all my life I never met anyone I could relate to like I could to him. Now finally, I understand why.

Stringy, your dad sounds cool. I think a lot of people from our generation and before went undiagnosed. Your comment about your mom being emotional cracked me up. I don't mind parties either...as long as there are only 3 people there and the music isn't too loud.

Lol!

Yes, now I think about she was probably perfectly normal. It was me and my dad who weren't!

Now I look back, my dad being the way he was has been a huge help when it comes to living with this. He fostered my interest in the outdoors and the natural world in general. This helped me enormously as it allowed me to do something I could enjoy alone. It didn't help me to develop my social skills but it at least it gave me a happy childhood.

For the last 5 years I've been living in Brazil where I teach English as a foreign language. The first couple of years were difficult... not surprisingly! In fact now that I realise how bad my inter-personal skills are or 'were', I'm surprised I have any students left!

Moving out here has been a huge help in improving my inter-personal skills.
Firstly because the people here are very sociable, helpful, friendly, open and easy-going. It's the culture here. This puts me at ease in almost any situation.
Secondly, being one of very few English people in the area makes me a kind of minor celebrity.... almost everyone wants to know me, talk to me, be my friend.
Finally, teaching for a living (which I really enjoy btw) has forced me to focus on and improve my weak areas. I'm still not 'normal' and I know I never will be but I can put on a pretty good show now that I can interact with other people much better than before I came out here.

Sounds like you made a great choice! We are all just trying to find our niche. I am in the opposite place. I have been employed at the same place for 10 years, and the people are pleasant enough, and they like me in a superficial way because they say I'm "smart", but none of them share my interests or passions. There are very few that I would like to get to know better. I often feel like I'm on ........ the wrong planet.

Hi to you back!

Yeah its like finding the lost Solomon Mines or Elephant Graveyard.

Hello fellow person diagnosed at age 51!

And fellow Spock fan.

Hi Toy Soldier et al!

Rocket 319. I don't have any friends with common interests either. In fact all my life I only had one other than my father and we grew part many years ago. I have many friends here... some very good ones too but I don't really have much in common with any of them, other than musical tastes. I don't really mind to be honest. Having company is the main thing for me.... and occasionally fun. My interests are things I can pursue alone and I function better when I have some time alone anyway.
Whatever else has been going on my life, a walk alone in the countryside has always left me feeling re-charged and ready to tackle anything. I guess I'm quite lucky in that respect.