Still Here/13 and Counting

Until mid-last year I had always thought that there was something wrong with me. Unspoken social cues were a mystery that I couldn’t seem to understand, and my social anxiety became increasingly debilitating. Being diagnosed as Autistic/ADHD finally gave me an explanation for my experiences. As a queer, late diagnosed neurodivergent woman living in a world designed for neurotypical people, relating and connecting to others often feels difficult or impossible. Despite this, when going through a long breakup from a very toxic relationship, I lived unofficially between Matt and the Hosken’s house for months and we went out dancing every weekend. We have a group chat between those of us that live locally, where Zoe or Lloyd often invites us over for dinner. I have a weekly dog walking job, which I almost always do with Laura, Nial, Sean or Lloyd. When Sean cut his hand trying to open a beer with a steak knife days before moving to Cambodia, we drove him to emergency. We encourage each other to pursue healthy relationship opportunities and support each other to leave those that are toxic. Our relationships prove that I am worthy of being loved by good friends, and that there will always be people that we do connect with, regardless of how hard it might be to find them.