Talking is hard work

Talking, well it can be done.

This point of view is of course comes from a proficient picture thinker, although all aspies might relate to this in some form or another.

With the aid and hindsight of experience simple conversation is pretty easy and indeed predictable, meeting someone is especially easy as "introductions" more than most forms of human conversations follow strict social norms. I can usually safely count on 3-5 five minutes of pleasantries and good impression. I even learned to embellish the person I'm speaking to a bit. I have had a number of public contact jobs and indeed 'small talk' makes the customer feel comfortable. I often said to my self thank goodness they are leaving, as I'd started having trouble keep up with the conversation. One point, the conversation would no longer be figured out, and I'd need to start using picture thought to keep up. I know working on a rental car lot was not the place to be picture thinking (loosing track of reality) and trying to walk etc. Most of my 'introductions' are already figured out, no need for (in this case) for slow picture thoughts.

Interestingly as a left over from my Auto mechanic days I "natually/instantly" took my rental car conversations to side of an aisle or held them in front of a car so that I could picture think a bit and not have to worry about someone driving up on me. Most people assume (forgive me) since I don't look retarded or have Autism written all over me I heard them drive up or I heard them shouting at me. In reality my eyes are open but I'm sometimes looking at a picture thought. In other words the lights are on and no one is home. Some of my customers commeted, gee, thanks for getting me out of the aisle or some would say you must have been ran over before? Well, yes, I have been as mater of fact. I answered with the social answer bad drivers but knew it the fact I was on another planet.

This is indeed a sore point with me and modern Autism as everyone is demanding eye contact out of their aspies. We don't think like you do and our eyes might be open but they are in effect disconnected. IF any 'Autism Expert" knew what we were doing they would be more worried about what type of picture thought we were attempting to use. Close people in my life have learned to give me time and wait for a bit of eye movement to continue on with a conversation.

Otherwise the only really good way I have a conversation with a traditional person is on the phone, where picture thoughts can develop easily, or online, or If I'm really lucky I could be talking to another aspie. Televisions, music, people talking, Echoes, noises from a furnace or air conditioner all slow down picture processing. EVERYTHING sounds like it is the same volume to me the wall clock in the kitchen is just as loud as the television in the living room and If I'm stand between the two rooms I want to turn down the volume on the clock (impossible) as well as the television. If I go into DEEP picture thought I actually no longer hear the TV or the clock but then I have typically a motion picture or still picture thought (brain generated). Aspie conversation is doable especially if we are talking within the realm of our splinter skills. PLEASE slow down when talking to an aspie turn the TV off and make life as quiet as possible, it will pay dividends.