All I Ever Want In Life…
This is sort of a response to the “stupid rules people follow” series thus far.
I think the author is bringing up some excellent points through this series. Why should we all be conformists? There’s no reason to conform 100% to what society expects us to be. Why should we? Wouldn’t this world be a dull, boring place if we were all the same? You bet it would be.
OK, so I’m an Aspie. Whatever, it’s not easy, but I take the hand I’m dealt and I deal with it. It’s not like I can do anything to change it. I may have the social awkwardness, the lack of strong people skills, and my other oddities. I know I can be a bit abrasive and a total pain in the ass at times, it comes with the territory. However, we must all remember none of us are alike, Aspie or not, male or female, or whatever, and we all have our own little idiosyncrasies. I may act a little funny, dress a little out-of-the-norm (not everyday is it that you see a man wearing a kilt and/or flaunting his legs with little short-shorts), I may have some weird interests, but why is it that I don’t deserve the love and affection that “normal” people receive? I’m a person too you know!
No, I don’t follow what I consider to be “stupid rules people follow.” Yes I’m a bit of a non-conformist. I like it that way. I’m just me. I don’t really want to be cured or treated for my Aspergers as it’s essentially become part of who I am. Now, for those of you reading this, the title is “All I Ever Want In Life….” Well, I’ll tell you right now what that is. All I ever want in life, is to be accepted and loved by those around me despite my differences, whether they be in my taste in attire, my weird interests, or my strange personality traits. Is that seriously too much to ask?
Will everyone work on being more accepting of people’s differences today?
Being an Aspie is not an excuse for lousy or mean behavior. It is an explanation of why we have to work harder at some things than others. It is just a matter of choosing to do it. Ok, so you like to wear a kilt? COOL. That is freakin’ awesome. Some people are going to look at you like you are a guy in a skirt. Some people are stupid, but that doesn’t mean we need to TELL them that. LOL.
People do not like to be treated abrasively. They do not like to be cursed at. They do not like to be told they are stupid. You don’t HAVE to do those things. You CHOOSE to do those things… and that is why you experience rejection. You don’t have to conform, per se… but there is a level of accepting that there are some behaviors that are socially acceptable and some that are not. You don’t have to conform to be kind or polite. You can be a total oddball… and be a gentleman. Having Aspergers may keep you from catching people’s reactions or interpreting them correctly, that excuses your mistakes… not your purposeful actions.
From my perspective, I don’t think this is asking too much at all. Our differences make us valuable, interesting, captivating, fresh, and even a little mysterious. š I’m thankful that everyone has unique qualities, and I am thankful for my own idosycrasies. In the case of harmless differences, I agree: we should be accepting.
Today, and everyday, I work on being more accepting – toward others and toward myself.