ATTN when did you know you were not like other people

[Botany]

Or am I the only one?

Just asking.

Earl G. has already promised dinner and drinks for anybody who wants them and responds
to this post.

[S/V Loner]

1. When I started my own company and designed and manufactured...

equipment for the submarine service. I also got a patent. Prior to that I had always assumed I was a dummy and not going anywhere but I was challenged and that was all it took. Now retired.

[Botany]

3. You are not a dummy because you write in complete sentences, you started your own biz based on ..

.. what you thought, and you are still alive.

[S/V Loner]

11. I guess that's true...

Today. LOL

[Walleye]

2. In first grade. I kind of dropped out of kindergarten.

[stopdiggin]

4. What sadistic prison cafeteria mope

crammed all of that (marginally edible in the first place) food stuffs into a single pile of - indigestible goo ?

[planetc]

5. For many years, I have believed I must have been born on the wrong planet.

Is this what you mean? I absolutely agree with the majority of other people when it comes to important matters like Beatles' admiration. But on other subjects, I'm off in left field. As to when I began to suspect it, it was early in my school life. Perhaps third grade? I seem to have put more words down on some kind of test they were giving everybody. And then I thought I saw a teacher eyeing me suspiciously. Perhaps I just developed paranoia early?

Also, that looks like a pleasant dinner. Are we having wine with it?

[Botany]

6. " Are we having wine with it?"

Riesling .. a dry type …. Work for you?

[planetc]

9. Semi-dry, if you've got it. But I'll drink anything that's not still hanging on a vine.

[Emrys]

7. About as soon as I became conscious n/t

[Wicked Blue]

8. In kindergarten, when I couldn't understand English

and couldn't figure out why everyone had to stand up, put their right hand on their chest, face a colored piece of cloth, and chant some kind of words at it.

[DFW]

31. My daughter had the same reaction when she first attended an American school

Her English was fine, but I had forgotten that they did that in American schools, and she had never heard the words “pledge” or “allegiance” before. So after a few days, when she realized this was some kind of daily ritual, she asked me what the ritual chanting was all about. I had no idea what she meant at first, and asked what they chanted. She said it started out with “I spread the peaches” and continued with some unintelligible mumbling. I was lost at first until she said they all put their hands on their chests. Then I got it and explained it. Having grown up in Germany, where extremist patriotism was (for obvious reasons) discouraged, she couldn’t understand why American kids needed to be reminded on a daily basis what country they came from.

[Wicked Blue]

40. LOL

"I spread the peaches."

[Zambero]

10. When I recoiled at peas touching potatoes on my dinner plate

Separation anxiety, kicking in whenever the peas started rolling toward the spuds, and were therefore no longer separate from them!

[2naSalit]

12. When I was about three.

I still have to have things separated on the plate, I'll mix them up myself after the butter melts, thank you very much.

[yellow dahlia]

15. ...I may have been only three,

but I was swingin.

[2naSalit]

16. Ha!

When you're twisted, you know you're a genius.

[yellow dahlia]

18. Is it possible that when you're a genius,

you're smart enough to know you're twisted?

[2naSalit]

21. Perhaps...

But you'd have to recognize normal to know you're not like that.



Now I have an earworm of that song. I knew it really well once upon a time, I even used it in an audition a long time ago.

[yellow dahlia]

25. Audition? It's not an easy song to sing.

I've been ear worming "my analyst told me, I was right out of my head"...since we got on the topic.

[2naSalit]

27. Same here...

Audition was a capella, wasn't the hardest thing I've done for audition but it was up there. The benefit was that I was very comfortable with the audition--er, had been my music director for years at that point and I was fearless in my vocal pursuits at the time. It did the trick and I got the spot in a jazz ensemble so it was worth the effort.

[yellow dahlia]

28. Jazz ensemble - awesome.

Kudos on your talent!

[2naSalit]

38. It was a fun...

Extra curricular thing the director put together to explore small jazz vocal groups. We had a few gigs and then it was time to graduate and go get a job.

[EverHopeful]

13. When my Dad stood at the top of the stairs and yelled "Why can't you just be normal?"

And the answer that popped out of my mouth, without even thinking about it, was "I don't know how."

We both got a good laugh out of that. Loved that we could get mad at each other and shout and get over it. I've met so many people who seem to almost enjoy staying angry. I don't enjoy it. Although you'd think I do with all the time I spend reading the news these days.

[chowmama]

41. I didn't have an answer until I was an adult

The answer is "The same reason I can't be tall, thin, stacked and blonde. I didn't come out that way".

[yellow dahlia]

14. What a fascinating question.

When did I know? That's tough.

When did I embrace it? It may have taken until my forties before I embraced it.

I am continually learning to fully embrace it. The older I get, the easier it is. Mr. Dahlia is a source of validation.

And I answered your question in less than a forty page essay.

[sakabatou]

17. Must've been around elementary or middle school

Where it got to a point where I had to leave class due to noise level. Turned out, after my first semester of college, I was diagnosed as being on the spectrum.

[CTyankee]

19. When I realized I was beautiful and talented and smart, that's when!

Any more questions?

[surrealAmerican]

20. I can't remember ever feeling ...

... that I was like other people, so it must have been pretty early.

[RandomNumbers]

34. That's me, too

I was going to say the same thing.

[Uncle Joe]

22. Remembering the first book, that my mama read to me when I was a small child, "The 300 Spartans."

Thanks for the thread Botany

[Bayard]

23. Is that mac n' cheese?

Then I'm all in!

When I was in high school, I started questioning Southern Baptist religious beliefs. I hated being forced to go to church. My favorite question: Why? My Mom was so appalled she had the preacher come to the house to talk to me. I thought for sure he was there to perform an exorcism.

[EverHopeful]

43. I understand

My Bible study teacher said all my questions were a sign that Satan was working on my mind. Luckily my parents encouraged thinking and allowed us to explore any religious organization that we were interested in.

[chowder66]

24. When I asked "Where are all of the black kids" on my 2nd day at my new private Catholic high school.

I came from the public school system which was over 80% black.

I was scoffed at by the "head girl" at the cafeteria table which happened to be full of the most popular girls.
She said something like "What? Are you kidding?". I literally didn't understand her reaction.
One girl answered that they had one senior who was bi-racial, the only other black kid was his little sister who came in as a freshman the year I was a senior. There were plenty of hispanic kids which I became friends with and the girl who answered my question became an at-school chum.

[Raine]

26. When l knew eating meat was wrong and l wouldn't do it

when l was a very little kid. Luckily my parents let me do as l wished and never forced me to eat what l didn't want to.

[wcmagumba]

29. In elementary school. I could make perfect cursive writing of my initials, according to 3rd grade teacher...

Then in 6th grade myself and one other student were allowed to use 7th and 8th grade math texts and "self teach" ourselves. Also, in 6th grade they told me I could read at college level...So smart but due to home and "non-IQ" issues didn't do much with it, I'm 69 now and still a moron in some things...and poor to boot...oh well, it's been "a long strange trip"...

[mercuryblues]

30. In kindergarten

When I convince my father that slips were supposed to be worn on the outside of your dress. Madonna stole my idea and the rest is history.

[ariadne0614]

32. When the Sunday School teacher looked at me funny for asking an inconvenient question.

I tended to ask a lot of questions that challenged the status quo, and my father often chastised me for thinking too much.That was another clue.

If you ask me, mashed potatoes and peas looks like classic comfort food, especially when it isn’t tainted with cooked animal flesh and bones.

[DFW]

33. Creeping hints during my teenage years

I refused to dress as the “in crowd” demanded. I didn’t listen to the same music they did, found myself learning to play instruments they didn’t, and when I landed for one year at a boarding “prep” school (and hated it), the only table where I ever sat at meals was the one where all the token black guys were, because they were the only ones without the attitude that the world owed them a living.

The “preppies” never sat with them, and I never sat with anyone else. They all assured me I must have some black blood (not that I knew of) because I wasn’t like the rest of the kids there—a compliment in my eyes, a big negative in the eyes of the school, who made sure I knew it.

I’ve been going my own way ever since. If anything was “in,” the chances were that I was out (you play a what? WTF is a balalaika?).

[MW67]

35. Earliest memories

Before I started first grade, they would read the bible to me and I was all questions about how this and that works , have you ever seen any of it? (No ,happened way back almost 2000 years ago) , why doesn't it happen anymore? Then was told there are questions that are inappropriate, still asking em " inappropriate" questions and they still have no answers

[Solly Mack]

36. I'm a dime a dozen.

[markodochartaigh]

37. About second grade.

I told my parents that the other kids stared at me. My parents told me just not to look at the other kids and I wouldn't know that they were staring at me.

My parents had no idea what Asperger's was, even that there was any such thing.

[0rganism]

39. age 5 I think

BTW, for those feeling misunderstood due to such differences, I found this video informative and oddly reassuring:

[chowmama]

42. Day one, or shortly thereafter

In kindergarten, there was a low bookshelf with adult books and I preferred to spend any and all playtime there. I could already read print, but one of the books was printed in cursive and I spent a great deal of time trying to decode it.

The teacher kept trying to drag me away and force me to play with the other kids. As soon as her back was turned, I was back to the books. Notes were sent home and there were parent teacher conferences.

I'd have loved long-distance learning, if it had been available then. Kids never made sense to me.

[EverHopeful]

44. I see I was lucky at my school

They right away gave special permission to a couple of us. We didn't have to stay in the little kids section.

I think that's why it took about 20 people telling me I should read Harry Potter and a pre-ebook middle of the night with nothing to read to finally pick up my cousin's Harry Potter book. I'd kept saying I didn't even read "Children's" books when I was a kid.

Luckily I later found other delightful children's books reading to my niece.