Today is the first issue of our new Thursday edition, and each week, I will try my best to bring you a different view of sports.
If you have been reading my weekly online column, you have probably seen that I have brought a different viewpoint on many sports, even ones that receive little to no coverage.
But for my first print column, I will not be talking about sports. Instead, I will share something that until now not too many people knew about me.
I have a disorder called Asperger’s Syndrome.
According to the WebMD website, “Asperger’s syndrome is a developmental disorder that makes it very hard to interact with other people… People with Asperger’s syndrome have some traits of autism. For example, they may have poor social skills, prefer routine and do not like change.”
Here are some examples of what I, and others with it, go through on a daily basis:
1. I have a hard time relating to others.
2. I like fixed routines, and change is hard.
3. I may not recognize verbal and nonverbal cues or understand social norms. For example, I may stare at others, not make eye contact, or not know what “personal space” means.
4. I may have only one or a few interests or may focus intensely on a few things. For instance, I show an intense interest in sports and sports statistics.
5. I may also be bothered by loud noises or lights, or strong tastes or textures.
There are other examples, but these are the main issues that people like me deal with in my everyday life.
At the same time, I can do most everyday things – I work another part-time job beside this one. For the most part, I have done a pretty good job of dealing with various day-to-day issues that may arise.
However, it is still a struggle to deal with social interactions, including this job.
I can get along with pretty much anybody, but I also get into awkward situations when having so-called “small talk” with others. I have a hard time following the conversation, or when its time to change the subject.
Growing up, I got along well with my classmates, and I even did some things with friends outside of class. However, I only focused on a few things like sports because I wanted to get away from all of the drama that was going on in my life.
So, I did not have a lot of deep friendships. However, I did not know how to be a good friend. I always had this “me against the world” attitude.
Looking back, I made it seem like it was only about me, even though that was nowhere near the case. So, as I got older, we all moved our separate ways. I really, really regret that.
I wish I had not just relied on a few people, and then poured all of my issues on top of them. Eventually, they got tired of me and the friendship was not the same.
Looking back, I wish I would have found out I had this disorder earlier than my junior year in college.
Today, I still have my bad days, but I also know I have a lot of support from many people, including my family and some co-workers.
I do wish I could go back to those days, especially since I saw a lot of them last week during our 10-year high school reunion.
It was the most fun I have had in a social situation in a long time. It was great to see some of those faces I had not seen since May 2001, when we got our diplomas.
It was a fun night, and I got to know some of them better. The only regret was I left too early. In the end it was great to see everybody.
Hopefully in 2021, or even before then, I will have most of the social skills figured out, and I will be able to deal with people a lot better than I have in the past. |
Email
Print
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Google
Yahoo!