midnightdeirdre

Sorry I forgot to answer your question. Yes I feel a sense of “belonging” if it’s also a happy event. (I made sure I got up to watch Prince William and Harry’s weddings.)

I wouldn’t say I’m attention-seeking. I just have all these memories of my odd behavior (which I don’t view as odd) and I’d like to see if neurotypical people can affirm my behavior was autistic/not normal OR if it was all right that I acted the way that I did.

Well, being unique isn't always viewed/experienced as a positive thing, sadly. My entire life I felt I never fit in. (And for the obvious reason. 🧩)

I repeat: it was the circumstances that day that made me take a photo of the TV. (The photo was obviously to look back on and see how much our house has changed since that infamous day that changed the world. I knew nothing was going to be the same again, and I wanted to soak in the fact that I was around for it all.)

This actually made me feel better....but why is that?

Rather it wasn't the tragedy itself that I enjoyed...it was the fact that I knew such a monumental event comes once in a lifetime, and that it was something that was going down in history----and I was going to be able to say "I was there." (You know what I mean.)

lol no, that is not my intent. I'm trying to understand if my reaction to the 9/11 tragedy was normal on some level. Everyone either seems to think it was highly odd OR they understand that it gave me a sense of importance and belonging.

Ironically, I would think you of all people would understand that it is a wide spectrum. 🤨

There's a saying that goes, "If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism." In other words, no 2 autistic people are alike and it is a W-I-D-E spectrum. (To put it mildly.)

I know I keep saying it, but it's because I'm autistic. (The A in Autism should stand for Anti-social, lol.)

The comments where I put "lol" and smileys have nothing to do with the 9/11 tragedy.

I'd say I'm looking for both. It'd like someone to be my partner to do activities with, but ALSO if that person understood my autism and is patient with it, would obviously be a plus.

Her name was Jacki. She stopped being friends with me for a couple reasons; mainly because she got annoyed when I texted her GIFs asking where she was when she didn't reply to my texts after awhile. That just really annoyed her. Also because she got a new job so her hours changed drastically, which made it hard for us to meetup for dinner and make plans to do stuff.

Why is such a terrible thing that I like the feeling of "belonging" to an event that went down in history? I have seen over a dozen therapists since I was 16. Only a select few have genuinely helped. I do take medication to help with my depression, OCD, and anxiety. I'm also autistic.

And I can't help but wonder if that's a bad thing/strange thing. 😏

See...this is what I mean. I can't help but enjoy the fact that I'm able to say that I am one of those hundreds of millions who can say they remember such a life-changing event clearly.

lol guys obviously THE WHOLE WORLD was tuned in to that when it happened.

Oddly, I don't remember.

I was 16. I turned 17 three weeks later; my parents gave me the gold Firefighter's Charm. I wore it to school and one of my teacher's said amazingly, "Your dad's a firefighter?!" (lol, she hesitated before she said "dad." Mom could've been one, after all. 😉)

It was my second day of my junior year of high school. Some people were misinformed and thought the WTC was bombed. Long story short, we were dismissed early and every single TV channel was in New York.

I admit, I felt important. And they seemed interested. 👍

Haha, a bit off topic...but we always had dogs growing up, and I love kissing dogs on their lips 🐶 being licked my dogs, and enjoying the dog-smell. (Guess who I get that from? 😄) One time we had a plumber in the basement, I was in the TV room, and my parents were in the kitchen. I kept hearing my dad kissing our dog, over and over 😙 until my mom said, "PAUL!" motioning for him to stop because the plumber was about to enter the kitchen. Sister and I also get our artistic talents from him. 🎨

Actually yes, I spoke to some teenagers about three years ago about it. Yes I used a Kodak disposable camera and still have the photo. 🙂

Know what? I get my feeling of importance of seeing stuff like that from my dad. 😁 Growing up, he talked about (well ok, maybe he did brag) about seeing stuff live, in real time, as it happened. (He saw Hitchcock's Psycho back in 1960 and said "people were screaming in the theatres!" and said he remembers when JFK was shot. My grandmother remembered that also and talked about it.) Being a fireman he's seen some gruesome stuff (to put it mildly). 😵‍💫 Before he learned how to use the internet, he asked me to look up footage/images of people who landed from the Towers that fateful day. (I admit I'm curious myself and would've looked it up anyway.) lol that's another trait I get from him (the curiosity to look at tragic/gruesome stuff.)

❤️ Aw thank you. I actually got a gold-charm that said "Firefighters Daughter" on it for my birthday that year. (My sister had one too.)