De Railed

Judging by the people I’ve talked to, a lot of autistic people like trains. I can see that.

I mean the movement of a train is very soothing, in my experience the older the better.

There’s lots of traditions, lots of random groups of trivial facts, and cartoons, and murder mysteries, there’s history, technology, science, maths, and rules. Trains are so incredibly interesting. I mean on the surface; meh. But once you start studying them in any form you can quickly become addicted. I love trains.

And I’ve realised.

Just a side note. I know me going off topic, how unexpected. I’ve realised, definitely because all the stuff I’m going to go on and on about is stuff I’ve known in the past. I may have even written a post about it. I may even have written this exact same post before. I wonder if I put this bit in.

Just a side note. I know me going off topic, how unexpected. I’ve realised, definitely because all the stuff I’m going to go on and on about is stuff I’ve known in the past. I may have even written a post about it. I may even have written this exact same post before. I wonder if I put this bit in.

Any-who so at some point I alised this knowledge, then I pushed it to the back of my brain, probably on simmer because the burners back there aren’t as strong. Now I am alising it again or in people-speak realised.

Back to trains and this particular realisation.

I think autistic people are a bit like trains. Most people are happiest when we work on the tracks that have been set down for us, although we can get an awful lot done in a very short time careening off the rails at breakneck speed. We run to schedules, but like trains the schedules are rigid for the passengers, other people, but flexible based on the demands of the trains.

Think about all the metaphors using trains. We are easily sidetracked and have an awful lot of trouble getting back on the right tracks. Small obstacles can derail us. We have to be careful not to run out of steam. We sometimes find life an uphill struggle and need to fire up the reserves just to keep chugging along. We have trouble braking when things go downhill. We are always on the lookout for signals. There are little people living inside us telling us what to do. Okay maybe the last one is just me.

Fine I like torturing metaphors. Oh and kids; metaphors and kids, and my husband and my mother. Okay I’ll face it if you will; I like torturing.

So enough torturing metaphors and its back to torturing you my loyal reader.

I was recently derailed by a very small obstacle. Please believe me I know that the following seems stupid, that such a little thing, easily resolved could have caused me a problem. That’s the problem with autism, weird little nothings that strike us wrong can derail us completely.

This time it was helping a friend. Which I know was a stupid thing to do. I should never help anyone. After all what’s in it for me. Caring about other people is an evil trap; beware.

Hey I’ve gone on a bit, I could make this a two part piece which would reduce my need to have experiences and think. Both of which are overrated. So I will stop here, catch up on some nap and finish, whenever.

See Part 2.