One way I know I am autistic

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I have been doing a lot of thinking this past week. Being diagnosed a few months ago with Asperger's at 44 years old is a huge piece of information to swallow. But autism and me have been together for 44 years now, I just never knew what it was. When I was diagnosed I embarked on a mission of research on Asperger's/autism. Wow! I have learned so much. Autism awareness I have now become. Autism I have had since I was born.

Looking back on life I knew, as did others, that there was something a bit strange about me. So those were things that clearly identified to me the autism I have. And I wanted to share something with you that gives me one of those fascinating fantasy world type autistic experiences where I know I am autistic. It is one of my obsessions---the organ---in this case the Gavioli band organ dating from about 1906. On this youtube clip it is playing a song that is sort of a motto of mine "Brand New Day." That is how I feel. I have embarked on a brand new day now. The day symbolizes my new journey in life with the knowledge that I have autism. "My journey has just begun."

This band organ is so fascinating to me that as I listen to this song with all the incredible mechanical manipulations of the horns/pipes/percussion within its player mechanism I fall into a sort of trance. I cannot explain the passion I have for this combination of song and instrument. If the rest of my life were to be spent in front of this massive piece of complicated machinery, I would die happy listening to its songs. It may not mean anything to you as you listen to it and look at its girth. But we are so different---and that is what makes us special. I hope you enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJjKBii5r6Y

Cool. Is your avatar a picture of you? That's what I looked like in 8th grade.

as usual Glider i relate to what you are saying. it is the intensity and also the durations of our absorptions in special interest and obsessions that set us apart i believe. i also experience that trance like state -- almost hallucinatory except for the fact i am consciously aware and cool about it and clean. it is a kind of ecstacy or reverie and it is my view we access parts of the brain that others spend a lot of time trying to access.
we just do it.
it is a beautiful thing.

Wow! It's surely powerful. I can understand your passion, I'm not passionate about this, but I like it. What about big church organs? The power of it can certainly blow ones mind. I mean, a church organ at a full blast, completely outpowers any rock'n roll band

Kind of reminds me of when I heard "Iron Man" on the harp.

Yes, that was me in 1974 when I was almost 10 years old.

Big church organs---heaven .

The ones that fascinate me the most are the theatre pipe organs from the 1920s. The theatre pipe organs were used during the silent movie era to provide not only a musical score but also the sound effects. They had sirens, drums, whistles, etc. Thus the term "it comes with all the bells and whistles" was created.

For my personal use at home I use a 1961 Hammond model A-102---hooked to a late 1950s model Leslie speaker (model 21H). At church we have a Rodgers---I am the organist there.

Thanks for listening to the Gavioli.

millie---that is a great way of explaining this phenomena. "Ecstasy or reverie." I believe we have access points in our brains that engage us into the passionate modes---that perhaps NTs cannot do. But maybe I am stereotyping here. But even when my NT wife gets into some hobby/interest, she never gets to the passionate/emotional level I get into. I say this because even though I keep my emotions inside me (usually), NTs tend to express them---and I have not witnessed her (or others I know that are NT) get this emotional about things/objects.

Magnitude---I just had an Aspie moment reading your post. I thought you meant the Iron Man song on the harp sounded like the band organ clip. Then after thinking of that I finally realized what you meant---that the passion you got from the Iron Man was like the passion I have from the band organ. I am glad others share this mode of passion for interests.