Postscript: If you are interested in this ten part series click here.

This is the first of a ten part series about Asperger’s Syndrome. Autism is something that I have never studied or understood to any degree. I have always wondered why I never even heard of it until the last few decades. Did it just pop up or was it just known as something else? This post will start a study into the Asperger’s Syndrome which is officially part of the Autism spectrum. I was recently shocked to learn, at least from a layman’s standpoint, that I have several characteristics that are common to Asperger’s Syndrome.

For this study series I have decided on using a consistent format for my venture into Autism.  I will be giving you a personal story about my life and then will relate it to characteristics of Asperger’s. So, here goes…

I was called a “shy” kid as I didn’t relate very well to other kids or even many adults. I seemed to be the most comfortable in a world of my own.  Even now, some of my most pleasant memories are of sitting alone on a starry night looking at the sky and dreaming what my life would be like in the future. I was a late bloomer to the teenage years and never really had an official date until my senior prom. Even in college I was just not be comfortable around  the opposite sex.  I just couldn’t figure out what women were about or what they wanted. I dated some  in those years but for the most part lived in my own inner world.

I never understood why I was just not able to form any significant level of friendship even with other guys. Something just didn’t click for me.  I was just missing the necessary connections.   I always blamed that on not having much parental guidance growing up.  My mother left dad, my brother and me, for greener pastures when I was about ten years old. Like most kids of divorce I blamed myself for that happening. My dad was just not much of a communicator.

As I have aged, particularly in the last couple of decades, I now tend to speak my mind on many issues especially those having to due with social justice.  I have called myself an empath but just can’t seem to move that to a personal level to any degree.

Then came my first glances at Asperger’s:

Men with Asperger’s syndrome can also be admired for speaking their mind, having a sense of social justice and strong moral convictions. They are often described as having ‘old-world’ values, and being less motivated than other men for physically intimate activities, or for spending time with male friends.

Attwood, Tony (2006-09-28). The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Kindle Edition.

The words above are just a small part of my awakening. The striking similarities between these words and my personal life hit me like a two by four so to speak. I definitely had an “aha” moment that maybe there is a physiological reason I behave how I do? Maybe I am not just totally weird after all.

Much more on that in future posts in this topic.