Social Situations

Hope for Josiah

I really hope that someday Josiah will be better in social situations then I am.  I dread group projects or speeches. This past semester was a great experience because I did have a group project. I have I guess just like Josiah had social opportunities when he is swimming to talk to people. This has helped me to open up to people a little, but still does not help much for me as it does him. I see changes in his social ability which is great. For me it takes for ever to get used to anyone. Sometimes I will say nothing just nod or say a few words when people are talking to me in person or even on the computer (typing is so much easier). Other times I will talk and talk and talk. Depends on the subject for the most part. Most of this social awkwardness does not apply to when I am with family and by family I mean my immediate family.

The Questions

I will more times then not walk away from talking to someone I do not know well and think: Did I say something stupid? Did I say what I wanted to say right? Did I break some social code I was not aware of? Did I say something the wrong way? Are they board or are they interested in talking? Am I talking too much? too little? too quite? too loud? I will even think back on something I said days or even months or longer and wonder if someone still thinks about how stupid I sounded (if I figured I said something that came out wrong).Logically I know the other person would not be thinking back on something so far back or even something I said not too long ago, but I still am like "grrr that totally came out wrong, social fail again, I wish this social stuff was so much easier then it is". This thought is not easily pushed aside when I have heard people say stuff about what I said. What is so sad is that even in the autism community negative things have been said, even though if their child was in same situation they would hope for acceptance. That in its self is kind of sad, that they want to scream acceptance for their child, but not accept autistic traits in an adult....their child will someday be an adult.

The Learning

I often will ask my husband did I write that out well/does that sound good/does that make sense when sending stuff to some people. Or will ask a friend is it ok to say this or that to (fill in who they are to me) and get opinions from other people on if it is socially acceptable or not. I have learned this way throughout the years. I have learned how to be social even though ti does not come naturally or anywhere near natural to me. I still wonder if I am doing it right. It is like if you learn how to  do something new and you check with your teacher to see if you are doing it correctly, but for me there is no social teacher out there. Josiah with his therapy has had help with learning at a younger age from his therapy which I know will do him much more good then me just navigating on my own. I have always just put my social awkwardness off to being shy and abused and nothing more then that. Now it kind of makes sense. I can remember when I was a kid not wanting to talk to people and so my parent's solution was to force me to order my own food if I wanted to eat out or to talk to whoever we come into contact with. I still will ask hubby to ask the waiter for something if we are out and part of this is because it makes me uncomfortable and another part of this is because well, I have not made eye contact with them once so I honestly could not pick our waiter out from the crowed of workers.

Situations

Other situations other then eating out that this becomes a problem. Well loads of places. Having to talk to a teacher about a problem I have. Questions are easier if done after class and not in front of everyone, so even being asked to express something by the teacher in front of class becomes a problem. With LM's Dr's for ex. The GI and WIC lady who are both so strong minded.When someone is so strongly opinionated and a very dominating person it makes it really difficult to get a single word in or to do anything other then sit and agree, even if I do not agree. I will a lot of times let things go like calling me by the wrong name or something just because (I honestly do not have an explanation for this one). I have issues starting conversations with people or sometimes even keeping a conversation going. I might go over something over and over and over in my head before I actually say it to someone. These types of things are exactly why there are studies out there about women who have autism finding themselves in abusive relationships more then the average. I myself have been there and am very happy to be with caring, loving man at my side now. Not out in front of me dragging me through whatever crap he sees fit to drag me through like my abusive ex that I met at way to young of an age. I am so happy hubby and I started to get to know each other online; otherwise, not sure how well meeting him would have gone. We are both kind of shy. The very first time we met in person he probably wondered why I was not talking to him hardly at all. I have opinions on things, but it is extremely hard for me to express them. I find it hard to for ex point out if a carseat is being used wrong according to the manual (even if the baby's life is at stake). Even though I am nice and do not think badly of many people I have still been called a cold person. I have still been called rude and other negative qualities I do not try to be, want to be, or even knew I was doing.

The Good

I have spoke up to some people about this when out and about and in the end I feel like adrenalin is rushing through me and I half stalked them before even bring it up. I have stood up for my ability to breastfeed my hungry baby in public. I have stood up for my son when he has needed someone to speak up for him. I have advocated for him far better then I could myself. This blog was created for him and I have expressed tons of stuff about him, but have never talked much about my self. Through my time with God(took a year off of no dating and no looking for anyone) and myself, getting married, and having Josiah I have found more of a voice for the people in my life and for myself. For the ability to say NO, I will not do that just because I am a nice person (I still kind of struggle with this one a lot, but is possible to say no sometimes now).