All my neurodiverse friends are coffee lovers, beer snobs, purveyors of simple machines. They’re motorcycle aficionados, bicycle mechanics, aware of the ins and outs of the way things work.
They love bold flavors, salty and sweet, strong and memorable, enough to break through the static, value the quiet.
All my neurodiverse friends know the rules with granularity, can correct you when you misspeak, can do the math. They can create jobs to fit who they are, design their lifestyles around their shortcomings.
They’re messy, forgetful, and genuinely funny. They’re particular, humble, might notice the small things, care deeply. They know about complex systems and niche topics. They’re expert photographers, creative artists, they care about food and design.
They’re bad at giving gifts, remembering, knowing it’s your birthday. They’re expert developers, they have a keen eye, they love the strong punch of bitter beers and sour patch kids and hot sauces. They’re fireside wonderers, ethereal daydreamers, musicians with flair, they go the extra mile.
They can’t focus, they can’t study, they’re no good at feeling out loud. They’re bashful, scattered, proud, the center of attention, the first to leave the party, nervous, authentic. They’re loyal, forgetful, trying.
They’re never on time, they go with the flow, they’re leaves in the wind. They find patterns, they accommodate, they make sense of chaos. They take risks, they fidget, they (mis)calculate, they throw mental notes into the archive pile, they live and die by the calendar, they’re good at what they do.
All my neurodiverse friends are woodworkers, creators, wranglers of the technical, good with numbers, watch the charts go up. They’re artists, tasteful, careful, messy, repetitive, abstract, work hard to make things easier. They’re blissful, ignorant, knowledgeable, kind.
They’re programmers, innovators, idiots, inventive, aloof, brilliant. They’re botanists, chicken owners, geeks, self medicating. They’re addicted, alone, loved, trying to break free from whatever owns them.
All my neurodiverse friends can value, love back, admire, respect, disagree, believe, waver. They remember who you were, they see who you’re becoming, they’re grateful for who you are.