Analyzing awkward situations over and over, causing anxiety
I remember when the bus-driver told me that the bus was now stopping at a different stand in the bus station, so I think I was the first passenger to know (he has a bit of a thing for me anyway
). But when I next got this bus, I was waiting at the new stand, and all the other passengers who were also waiting to get on the same bus were all waiting at the old stand, just at the other end of the bus station. Some of them I recognised, but I felt too shy to come up to them and say the bus now goes to the stand I'm waiting at. The bus pulled in, and it went to the stop I was standing at, and so they all came over and were like, ''oh, we wondered why you were waiting here. So has the bus stop changed then?'' and I was like, ''yes, I was told.'' Luckily I'm quite good with ''reading between the lines'', and I could tell that they were thinking, ''tsk, she could've come over and told us, being that she already knew!'', but at the same time I was thinking, ''what if the usual bus-driver wasn't on this bus today, and he might of not known and went to the old bus stand, then if I had already told them then they would have all come over to wait at this bus stand when the bus goes and pulls in the other one'' (because this does happen, not all the drivers get told about changes). And then I would of looked stupid once again. But, what I was anxious about, was did the other passengers also reach the same conclusion as I did, or are NTs more self-centered than that and just think ''huh! She should have told us if she knew it was changed to a different stop!'' instead of, ''oh maybe she wasn't 100 percent sure''?
My problem is, I seem to worry what other people are thinking, even though I still seem to come across as selfish to them. I felt too shy to explain myself, and I'm getting fed up with explaining myself anyway. But they don't know that, they probably thought I was being awkward and didn't want to tell them. This happened about 4 months ago, but I still keep feeling anxious about it now when I get on the bus. They probably just look at me and think, ''there's something not right about that girl. She gets on this bus a lot and recognises us, yet she isn't very friendly - yet that bus-driver is all over her! She must be confident in some way!''
I am not very good at explaining things, so I hope you understand what I mean, and I wonder if anyone else here has been in situations like this?
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ghostar
Velociraptor
Joined: 20 Dec 2011
Age: 46
Gender: Female
Posts: 403
Location: Most likely work. Sigh.
Joe, you explained it perfectly and I am in situations like this on an almost-daily basis.
Then, when I explain my thought processes to NT friends, they say things like "it sounds like you are just trying to create problems for yourself" or "it's all in your head" or the worst one "just relax!"
Just relax? Like that had not occurred to me? I really don't understand wtf is wrong with some people. It is like they think I want to be neurotic to get attention when attention is the LAST THING I WANT.
[The above response has an angry tone...it isn't directed at you, Joe90. I have just finished a horrible work day. I swear sometimes it feels like this job is eating my soul...]
I'm not sure if this is what you meant but.. there have been people who have been REALLY nice to me and get along well with others but those same people they get along with, don't seem to like me.
For instance, there is a person I know and she always talks to me. On the other hand... there's a guy who always ignores me and ONLY makes an effort to talk to me when i'm in the presence of this girl. I mean--even if I make an effort, its futile.
But since he sees me talking to this girl he presumes I have some type of confidence or something going for me and only then makes the effort.
There is no need to worry about what people are thinking about you. Most people are too busy thinking about their own stuff to bother focusing too much on what others are saying, doing, thinking, etc. Even if they do, it will usually be for a short time, and then they are back to focusing on their own issues again. Anyone who does focus more on you is likely to make it obvious by staring at you or talking to you. Don't give the starers a thought. They obviously have too much free time on their minds. Anyone who talks to you just might have something to say, so you give a listen, and decide what to do based on their conversation.
I often had to deal with that stuff at school, but the nice kids didn't focus too much on me, and the nasties aren't worth spit. I have still occasionally had to deal with people who focus on the "different" one over the course of my adult years, but again, they are not worth any consideration, unless they start trouble.
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If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured, or far away.--Henry David Thoreau
