Hello

[Doylem]

Old Aspies never die.....They just disappear into the wall paint.
I'm 64 and have carried an affliction of extreme shyness all my life. I have been misunderstood as conceited, have been categorized as retarded, have been the victim of verbal bullying and in social circumstances have regularly fumbled the ball.
But I'm retired now thanks to a good labor Union that stood up for all employees whether an Aspie hanging on the social fringes by the seat of their pants or a charismatic master of ceremony.
A half century has passed since my school days that can be best described as an anxiety attack. And the silver lining of the dark cloud is that my self imposed solitude led me into 30 plus years of cycling.......a very secure activity for me with I for the most part alone on treks and moving at 12 mph.
Today I reap the physical effects of cycling with good health and the bullies of my youth are now but broke down old men.
I choose to continue to live the life of a Recluse with my chosen retirement home located some 25 miles in the boonies.
As the saying goes,"Absence makes the heart grow fonder", so I now pull a part time job as a grocery bagger. And still I am confronted with the mental void in the area of social interactions. Still I am confronted with the stigma of being mentally retarded when in truth I was high school Beta Club. No pocket holder for the ink pens......but close.

 

[Mia]

Hi Doylem welcome. It was the cycling that caught my eye, me too. It's a feeling of freedom and speed that I never forget. Snowed under and just hung my bike up for the winter. Oh sadness But I know I'll start again soon. Minus the snow of course. And the labour union as well, which my father and his father often sang rousing songs for and practiced their speeches on me as a child.

 

[Doylem]

Hi Doylem welcome. It was the cycling that caught my eye, me too. It's a feeling of freedom and speed that I never forget. Snowed under and just hung my bike up for the winter. Oh sadness But I know I'll start again soon. Minus the snow of course. And the labour union as well, which my father and his father often sang rousing songs for and practiced their speeches on me as a child.

Retired at 62 and I haven't thrown the leg over the bicycle in over 2 years due to the chores of homesteading out here in the boonies. Plus these roads are not good at all for road biking. No shoulders and to many blind curves with jacked up 4 wheeled drive trucks doing 60 mph. Just a bit to dangerous.
But on the other hand it's a great area for all terrain riding with a network of logging roads. Plans are to eventually get a mountain bike, take my camera and get some good pictures.
As for the Labor Union....I'm in a service workers Union at the part time grocery baggers job. The Union isn't really worth a damn because of a lack of solidarity but I still pay the dues weekly in gratitude for what the Union did for me at my former job at Lockheed Martin. I didn't have a pot to piss in before this Union job.....and a year later I not only had a pot to piss in, but also a window to throw it out of.
I know lots of folks are not high on Labor Unions....but as for me and my family it was a very good thing.

 

[ChrisN]

Welcome from Southern MD, USA, as one 64 yo to another!
I dont think I ever will retire. I work with an excellent group of people led by a great leader. While I still feel very uncomfortable at large meetings I have a circle of co-workers who are the best. We all have our quirks.
I am trying to get into the cycling mode again as I loved it as a kid.

 

[WittyAspie]

Welcome

 

[Doylem]

Welcome from Southern MD, USA, as one 64 yo to another!
I dont think I ever will retire. I work with an excellent group of people led by a great leader. While I still feel very uncomfortable at large meetings I have a circle of co-workers who are the best. We all have our quirks.
I am trying to get into the cycling mode again as I loved it as a kid.

They have come a long way from the Department Store Huffy. A quality bicycle is fitted to you much like a shoe and so lite weight one can lift it with one hand. But be prepared to spend at least 600 Bucks.
With 40 miles per can of beans and the positive effects on the cardiovascular......it's worth the bigger price tag plus a Bicycle Shop has the staff that knows the ends and outs of cycling.
I hope to get back into it my self maybe a few more months down the road. Besides the health benefits, it's a great Escape from depression.
I'm fortunate to have my VA benefits that includes medical care. If I had to pay for health insurance, like a lot of folks my age, I couldn't afford to retire until age 65 when the Medicare kicks in. VA health care is socialized medicine with all the short comings.....but it's free except Co payments on meds. In October of last year I had cataracts removed from both eyes. An 8000 dollar procedure which only cost me 144 Bucks for the eye drops. But I regained my vision with 20/20 in one eye and 20/40 in the other. And how much better retirement has become with the good vision of a young man.
Now speaking of cycling.....The 30 years of long hours paddling the asphalt without sun glasses likely played a big part in the cataracts. So plan to purchase sun glasses and one of those ugly cycling helmets, both of which can be purchased at a bike shop.The helmet looks like **** but head injuries are the killer in accidents.

 

[xudo]

Welcome

 

[Myway]

Hello and welcome to AC.

 

[Rocco]

Welcome aboard