YAAAAAAY I can seeeeee!
Wait, didn't we just do this? Ah well, here we are again! Brand new poly-carbonate lenses that are quite a bit more heavy duty than my last prescription... My eyes apparently had gotten quite a bit worse since the first pair of new glasses that I showed off here. I also was able to finally pay for them with my own money!
That's right, I have a JOB now. Sure, it's tough. Before April I had never ever been in a work-type situation where I'm getting paid to be socially awkward and fumble my way through things I'd never been trained to do. As most--if any--of you know, I am a trained and certified Medical Coder and Biller. Ever since I got out of high school I have trained in the medical field. ...BUT.
I am not employed--currently--as a medical coder, which would be my dream. No, currently I am employed as an administrative assistant at a roofing company. Times are tough, everyone knows this. Especially here in Florida, it's almost impossible to get employment and ESPECIALLY in our saturated medical field.
I expected it to be difficult, but as an Aspie in the workforce for the first time? It's been unbelievably hard! I thought like a fool that I'd be able to function like an 'average' person and just deal with it. Buuut that fell to pieces pretty quickly. I had three days of training, from a woman who had only been really working in the position I'd be filling for two weeks... needless to say I became VERY overwhelmed quickly. It led to a full-on breakdown in front of a coworker where I was sobbing hysterically and it became VERY clear that this would be another aspect of my life where I could not compartmentalize, and being an Aspie would deeply affect.
I highly recommend that if you are an Aspie or any high functioning autistic and you are entering a workplace that is unaware or unaccommodating to folk like us? Make SURE you have very strong coping mechanisms in place. I was completely unarmed because I had never been in ANY workplace situation, so my NORMAL coping mechanisms were not prepared.
So yeah. I also advise--if at all possible without costing you the job--being sure that your employer is aware of your Aspie/Auti-ness. ESPECIALLY if you're in a field that you have never previously been in. Medical field is SO FAR FROM the construction field. I was drowning.
Hopefully tho, I will soon be obtaining employment in my field of choice!
Oh, and here's what my hand is resting on in the first photo. He's very uncooperative.
And before I forget!
I recently have collaborated--and by collaborated I mean given stock photos of myself and helped with the concept--with an artist to make a picture that represents how I feel as an Aspie, though I think almost anyone with mental health issues can relate. This one, however, every purchase of a print sends the proceeds to the National Autism Association. You can learn about that picture and see it Here and Here.
