Hi Chris
I was at your Margins event at Yearly Meeting and it really spoke to me. I had already worked it out, but I wasn’t describing it in quite those words but thinking about life in these terms makes sense.
I have always been on the margins. I found life difficult and I couldn’t work out why I didn’t seem to be quite like other people. I was somehow all wrong, and suffered a lot with depression, anxiety, stress etc. Despite trying very hard, I couldn’t get into the mainstream.
Then, a few years ago, things went from bad to worse. I had a serious cycling accident, I was unconscious for several days with skull fractures, brain haemorrhages etc.
So now everything really was wrong, but I felt that I had to find out what on earth was happening and I started on a steep learning curve, doing research and to cut a long story short, last year I was diagnosed (in my mid-sixties!) as being on the autistic spectrum. I have Aspergers Syndrome!
Gradually, everything began to fall into place and make sense. I will always be on the margins (I’m not going to be anywhere else with Aspergers and the after effects of a brain injury) but now I don’t care that I’ll never be mainstream. I’m so much more confident now I know what my problems are, it has made such a difference, and I’m happier now than I’ve ever been.
I just thought I’d write and let you know that life out here on the margins is great!
with many thanks
Carolyn