Just Three Minutes of My Day (Aspie Exhaustion) Ironically, after posting about small talk, I was in Trader Joes grocery store last night and the male checker locked eyes with me and asked, with a toothy-grin, So, what have you been working on? What have I been working on? My face squished up in confusion. Number one thought barged in: Glad I am wearing a winter hat to hide my burning red ears. The bombardment of thoughts that followed went something like this: What does this question mean? I am embarrassed. Can he tell I am beet red? I wonder if it bothers him he is balding. I wonder if he is single. What does he think of me? Why would he ask this? What am I supposed to say? He is staring at me. Can he tell I am embarrassed? What is he thinking? How should I respond? I am taking too long. Do I look autistic, shy, or stuck up? I dont want to look at him. I dont want him to think I am in a bad mood or mean. I am not. I thought I was better equipped than this. I thought I was prepared. I bet I look stuck up. Just like in high school, always misinterpreted. The people in line are looking at me. I wonder if they are married? I wonder if they can tell I am so embarrassed. They are frowning. Are they tired or sad, or mad at me? I look flustered. How much time has gone by? Why did I chose the shortest line and not the line with the female checker? (Thats about half the thoughts, anyhow.) Only seconds had past, but in my reality it seemed hours. I refocused. All l I could think to say was: What made you ask that question? I realized immediately that I sounded evasive, suspicious, and even perhaps flirtatious. Not my intention. By this time, I wondered if he was perhaps psychic, and could sense I was working on many projects. The checker responded quickly and easily, in a manner that screamed this is so easy for me. Oh, I was just making small talk to pass the time. Small talk. Small talk. Small talk! Should I explain there isnt such a thing in my mind? He stared at me, and I knew as the blood shot through my cheeks and up to the bridge of my nose that in this communication game it was my turn to speak. I stuttered some, and then formed some shaky sentences about my new job and such, remembering of course, with screaming reminders in my head, to ask him about himself. By the time the three minutes were over and the checker had scanned and bagged my ten items, I felt Id been to war and back. Sam Craft, Everyday Aspergers
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 16:09:49 +0000
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