Yes, I've experienced this. I had a special interest which involved collecting and sharpening things like knives, wood planes, chisels, etc. That was also my longest special interest I've had as it lasted nearly ten years. It ran its course and it very often consumed my thoughts; truly an obsession, from conversing with and procuring natural sharpening stones from many different regions of our planet to talking with manufactures of sharpening powders and on and on and on.
I met a friend that lived about 150 miles from me. We would meet from time to time at his house/shop and we'd talk about our shared interest for hours. In retrospect, I'm convinced he was an Aspie as well.
We were members of a forum that no longer exists and met others that shared that interest and once met some of them at a "meet up" hosted by someone who liked to make their own knives and had a large and impressive shop. One of the forum members we met for the first time face to face was diagnosed as Autistic in childhood. He was non-verbal until age 6 or 7 if I recall correctly and went on to excel in the scientific field.
Family obligations were such that my level of involvement in that special interest conflicted and as I mentioned, I got what I wanted out of it and my friend and I lost touch.
24 Jun 2018, 9:33 pm
