Chiron0224 wrote:
Hi. Let me begin by saying that I am a new member on this forum and this will be my first post::trumpets sound and balloons fall from the ceiling::
I have been visiting the site for some time now, being an aspie myself, and have read several of the articles and forum posts. Also, I used to frequent the chat room, though I haven't been back in a while. It was at this site that I first learned words like neurodiversity and NT(neurotypical).
I believe that this website exists, among other reasons, to allow the members of the autistic community to get together and share/vent their frustrations about living in an NT world(according to those bastards at autism speaks they outnumber us 149-1). It can become all too easy, however, to get in the habit of NT bashing.
Let me be perfectly honest when I say that I'm also guilty of this behavior. There has been many a time when I catch myself saying or thinking things like "those NTs are all such liars" or "don't they realize that they are so self contradictory and illogical?". While I admit at times to fighting the urge to strangle one, I still feel it neccesary to say one thing which doesn't get said nearly enough by autistic people.
I LOVE NTs!! !
Everyone I've ever loved, actually, has been an NT(well, except for my friend Greg who is an aspie like me).
My parents are both NT(I'm one of those "no family history" cases)
all my friends are NT(Greg moved away leaving me without any autistic friends)
all my ex-girlfriends were NT(well, their was one where I have my doubts)
So I want to take this time to say some positive things about our quirky NT neighbors and I hope you will join me in truly celebrating our neurodiversity.
1. NTs are fascinating: The way they interact without words is bizarre and can be a subject of great fascination.
2. an NT friend(everyone should have at least one) can be a good wingman in social situations: NTs can smell a bad social interaction a mile away. They are always the first to know when someone is getting annoyed/frustrated and if you have one on your side it's a great early warning system.
3. NT friends help you learn to bridge the gap: My NT friends are always helping me understand the NT world and how to improve my interactions. One of my friends, for instance, reminded me recently that I should "watch what I say" because I was being too blunt. I didn't take offense because I knew that she understood why I am so blunt and was trying to help me avoid offending people.
4. NTs always know when something is wrong: My NT friends can usually tell when something is bothering me(I am high functioning enough to use a slight amount of non-verbal communication without realizing it. Reading it, on the other hand, is very difficult for me) and are always there to help.
5. NTs can offer a different perspective on things: NTs see things differently than we do and this can be a good thing. When and Autistic person AND an NT get together to address a problem they can cover it from all angles.
6.an NT can act as an interpreter: My NT friends often explain to me some of the bizarre behaviors and statements from NTs I'm interacting with. I.e., He's just saying that, what he really means is...(seriously, I will never get used to the say one thing and mean another thing)
To make a long story short. I love my NT brothers and sisters, and I think the world would be a little less complete if they weren't there. Just like I think the world would be a little less complete without us. So please, make sure you hug an NT today.
now, why do the people at Autism Speaks have to be bastards? What did bastards ever do to you? Some of us on WP are bastards and don't take well to being compared with Autism Speaks.
So if you are concerned so much about NTs getting a fair go, why not bastards, too?
Merle
_________________
Alis volat propriis
State Motto of Oregon