Asperger's On A Good Day, Asperger's On A Bad Day

As of recent, I have started to draw back from my activeness in the autism community. It's become this: We LOVE our differences, we hate Autism Speaks.

And why you may ask? Because unlike a few on the spectrum I know, Asperger's isn't my entire life. Even one of my heroes on the autism spectrum, John Elder Robison knows that. He also devotes time to an interest in rare automobiles. I like passenger rail, history, politics and current events.

Anyways, I've been finding and reading stories recently of couples on the autism spectrum (either one person or both in the relationship have the disorder) and a lot of them are just really sweet. Here's one from this page, which accompanies many stories of how people have been affected by autism:

When I met Brad back in December, I noticed right away that he is smart, funny, charming, cute, has brown eyes that I could get lost in easily and smile that light up the room. I had a feeling that he has Aspergers. The next day he messaged me on Facebook. I was thrilled. The more I talked to Brad, the more I liked him. About 10 minutes in to our conversation, Brad said to me "I have to tell you something. I have Aspergers." I simply said "I know." He was taken aback by my response and we continued to talk. Then one day he asked me if we were together. I told him "yes we are." He looked at me with this huge smile on his face and said "I am a lucky guy. Girls like you don't even bother with guys like me." That just broke my heart. I tell him all the time that his Aspergers does not define him and who he is. It is a part of him, but it doesn't run his life. I have learned how to help him cope with his moments that he has. I will hug him tight to make him feel better. I will happily scratch his head because he likes the way his hair feels against my hand. He has his moments where does say inappropriate things. All I do is let him know that is not appropriate to say and he smiles at me while saying "Thanks babe." My absolute favorite part about him is when he wakes up every morning and texts me "Good morning beautifully" That makes me smile because he truly means what he says to me. He is so sweet. He is an amazing person. I just can't express how much Brad means to me. One day I plan to marry him. He won me over faster than anyone has. He has broken down my walls and let me in to his. We truly are best friends and soul mates. He is not the lucky one, I am.

To say that we have no capacity for love is a lie. A boldfaced lie no less. We want to love, and many of us are passionate about whatever it might be. I probably have had many girls turn me down because of the fact I have Asperger's. And the same goes for neurotypical guys: don't discount a girl on the spectrum either. I have met some wonderful young women on the spectrum, all of who continue to inspire me today.

But this is something I will stress: my autism/Asperger's is only a part of my life, it doesn't shape who I am entirely. I am more than autism. I have various interests and I enjoy learning more about them. I embrace my differences but I don't fixate on them. We're all different people, and that's what makes us interesting.