Things not affected by ASD

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Greetings all.
Was just wondering if there are aspies out there who have aspects of life that are not affected by ASD?
In the past I have been aware that AS has impacts on various aspects of my life in both large and small ways. My career (or lack of), my social life (or lack of), my hobbies (by the hundreds), my everyday habbits etc. But I always thought I had one thing that was fairly AS free: My weekly visits to my local lapidary club. The one place where I was the same as everyone else and fitted in nicely.
Until now.
Turns out that over the last several weeks, a few people have been complaining about me behind my back about the way I do things. Apparantly people think I am stepping beyond my role and not following the rules. How can I follow rules when they are not written in the rulebook and no one tells me what they are? How can I be stepping beyond my role in the club when I am simply trying to fulfill the position I thought was given to me but it turns out wasn't?
I seem to have missed every one of the interpersonal cues that people were not happy with me and my ideas, and have apparantly completely misinterpreted and misunderstood what I was supposed to do.

So in an attempt to soothe my recently acquired agitation at the loss of my last little bit of AS freedom, I want to ask people if they have any last remaining shreds of life that are not influenced or interupted by ASD.

The more I think about your question, the more I reach the conclusion that there is no dividing line between me and Aspergers. It impacts every aspect of my life in ways small and large. Aspergers is not something I "have" - it is part of me. However, I don't really care any more. We are different to NT's - does it matter?

If an eagle was brought up amongst penguins would they feel odd that they don't like shuffling about on ice with an egg perched between their feet or diving into ice cold water grabbing fish? Wake up to the fact that you are an eagle. You will never be a penguin. Penguins will never understand or fully accept you. Be yourself - take to the skies and soar with the eagles.

Oh TallyMan that was an awesome way to describe the issue. I so agree with you! I always say we are the ugly duckling that's in fact a swan.

AS affects/influences every aspect of my life. Most aspects in a negative way, because most aspects are connected to relating to humans.

Of course there are parts that are not affected. I think.

Good question.

Nothing.

I would have to agree with TallyMan (great analogy) - you just cannot compartmentalise things as simply as that, a left handed person is left-handed, it is not possible to consider what it would be like to not be left-handed as you have no frame of reference.

I was just thinking that. Everything has to be affected, to some degree, if I have it. How can they not be? The thing is that most of us have gotten so use to it, that we don't usually notice.

Yep, all of my thoughts are obsessive, no matter what I'm thinking about; all of my actions are ritualized, and all of my behavior is determined by the ASD.

It's just how it is. Whilst my personality isn't affected too much, i.e., what I like and what I don't like, but how this personality manifests is in a way that's controlled by the ASD.

Its all well and good saying 'be an eagle', but this world is designed by and for penguins, with no sky to fly in, only ice and freezing cold water.
I am all for being positive and hopeful, but reality does need to have a part.

Hi Lessian. The point I'm getting at is that penguins don't look up anyway because they can't fly. To them there is no sky, only ice and water. I'm not saying you should be a fantasist or try to put on a fake smile trying to be positive. I'm saying look into yourself for the things that make you better than NT's. Do you have undeveloped skills that you were never encouraged to pursue? Any creative urges? What things really make you think "Wow!". Find where you talents and passion lies and explore. You may even find you've got wings

TallyMan is 100 % right.

Just be yourself, stop comparing yourself to others, are you weird ? who cares ! are you happy ? that's the the only

thing that matters.

Re Tallyman and Rainbow-Squirril, I am the one penguin wannabe who did actually look up and saw what I thought was a sky but in fact was just a very low ceiling painted blue and white.
I had the perfect job that was everything i had been looking for, was perfectly suited to my AS nature, my talents and interests. Except that I failed and the NT's excelled.
I do have plenty of skills, but none of the other penguins are in the slightest bit interested.
The whole point of this post is that I am fully aware of my status as an eagle, and that there is no place for my eagleness in this penguin dominated world.
(My sister would be pleased at this metaphoric 'penguin domination' interpreting it as a linux thing. She loves all things linux...)
I would dearly love to be happy, but in order for that to happen, I need to feel like I have place in society. This is not me comparing myself to others, just me trying to find an environment where people do not deliberately misinterpret me.
And please, no one mention that curse of a movie happy feet.

I'd extend the Penguin metaphor, but I think it got snapped a few posts back.

Anyway, I think TallyMan is mostly right, but I won't gang up on you Lessian. I think you're just venting, right?

The bottom line is that AS's do miss the subtle clues of life. Your equipment for reading clues is just missing/broken/whatever. I have lots of things missing, too. I don't get along well in life and hang out with my dogs, who seem to like me really well. You are an AS. It's okay to be clueless. You are okay. You can't be not you. I read a book, a couple years ago that says you shouldn't listen to negaitve statements or compliments, they are all irrelevant. You are your safe haven. The other people irritated by you are really reacting to their own issues. That is the bottom line. I took a test last fall to help me get reemployed. What I found out is that I have an INTJ personality type, evidently. Only one per cent of people have this personality. (I) Introverted, N(Intuitive), T(Logical/Objective analysis thinking) and J (planned & organized approach to life). It is a curse, believe me. But I can't change it. It is me. I will never be happy working with or for other people. I really "just don't fit in anywhere." Voc Rehab can't help me because I "don't fit" into their helping program. I would be good at being a Test Pilot (I'm 60 yr old and disabled from severe depression. What are the odds I'll get looked at??? LOL LOL LOL) I've got several degrees including a doctorate. I am unemployable. Basically I am a loser with a difficult personality. LOL LOL LOL Plus I am fat, female and old. Where does that leave me in our society? I am fair game at all the cruel jokes that are still out there. I'm not in Darfur, or married to an Al Quida or Taliban member. That is a plus. I don't care what people think, that's where it leaves me. I am gathering up all the old pictures from Northern Wis at the fishing resort I grew up in. I am teaching myself how to develop a web page. I am going to scan all those pictures in and tell all the stories I know about them and other things before I die. I have had a pretty interesting life. Enjoy every last cell in your being. People are missing a lot by not getting to know you. Their loss.

Re Thomas1138, I was/am partly venting, but am also genuinely trying to find a solution to the whole mess.
I really do appreciate all the support and positivity coming through here, but no amount of 'be yourself' is not going to get me paid.
The Australian system is a bit different to the american one. AS is barely recognised as being a legitimate thing by the medical folks, and not recognised by the government at all. This means that there is no pay from that quarter.
I have more than enough hobbies and creative pursuits to keep me occupied and happy, except that I can't afford to do any of them because literally every cent I receive goes towards the backlog of bills. This has been my existance on and off for several years now.
I have just started yet another job, but live in fear that they will reject me because I am not a penguin.
I was hoping that this post would help me to discover if it is possible for an aspie to be accepted by society. If I can at least find a place to start looking, I think it will help inspire and stabilise me for a short while.

Heh, well unless I'm missing the boat, the American government doesn't pay us either.

You're right. "Be yourself" really isn't the best advise we can give you for career advancement. For that you probably need to work on the skills that God forgot to give you.

Out of curiousity, what kind of jobs are you pursuing?