tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827743438706478479.post1820590046555344662..comments2024-03-20T07:55:33.231+00:00Comments on Traveling with Autism: Keeping Going; F is for friendsLisamareehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18445509438246694219noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827743438706478479.post-74869183713789538412008-04-14T21:06:00.000+01:002008-04-14T21:06:00.000+01:00Sydney! Boutique On Premise mainly, but I started ...Sydney! Boutique On Premise mainly, but I started out doing the "ma and pa" bottle shops in the outer suburbs and worked my way in and up!<BR/><BR/>Lucky girl with your sis' Mine are 17,000 miles away. But they loved the Boo when they met him a couple of years ago. <BR/>xxLisamareehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18445509438246694219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827743438706478479.post-73599913763730098712008-04-14T20:50:00.000+01:002008-04-14T20:50:00.000+01:00Im lucky to have good friends and a sister worth h...Im lucky to have good friends and a sister worth her weight in gold but in the beginning I felt very alone and isolated until I looked for help and got friends.<BR/><BR/>Hammie were you a rep here or 'strailia', I worked in the off trade for years.<BR/><BR/>Gracie:)tabathahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10010637588993049088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827743438706478479.post-2037765578005964092008-04-08T16:04:00.000+01:002008-04-08T16:04:00.000+01:00Hi Debbie, I was wondering where you had got to. G...Hi Debbie, I was wondering where you had got to. Glad that you can share how you feel, I certainly find it less lonely to know there are people around the world in the same boat and they are only as far away as my laptop!<BR/>Thanks for the comments and please stay in touch!<BR/>xxLisamareehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18445509438246694219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827743438706478479.post-82930249409497850992008-04-04T22:12:00.000+01:002008-04-04T22:12:00.000+01:00hammie, again, one of the biggest reasons i enjoy ...hammie, again, one of the biggest reasons i enjoy your blog is sometimes you describe my life! the isolation is a killer and a bigger struggle to me than the difficulties with the children. at least when we are home, and it is just us, no one is judging or criticizing, but the lonliness definitely gets me down.debbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08957466238123177027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827743438706478479.post-30347262248850307972008-04-03T22:55:00.000+01:002008-04-03T22:55:00.000+01:00Hammy, here I go, on about emphasising the positiv...Hammy, here I go, on about emphasising the positives again, but have to say one unexpected positive originating from my son's ASD, is that I have met the most wonderful people, directly because of it. <BR/><BR/>It has also introduced me to caring/understanding facets of people in my existing network of family/friends that I never knew existed.<BR/>Wah<BR/>xAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827743438706478479.post-83268880472509944762008-04-03T12:39:00.000+01:002008-04-03T12:39:00.000+01:00Time to get some new friends V!Many of the parents...Time to get some new friends V!<BR/>Many of the parents I speak have been where you are. Me? I suddenly found that I wasnt that interested in talking about semillion and pinot noir and had to retire from wine bullshitting (oops I mean rep'ing) and become a full time Mum.<BR/>But I was lonely for a long time after that V, my new friend was my store card and I ran up huge debts in a local department store. I guess I craved the human contact of the shop assistants along with hope that this buggy, or highchair or carseat would "cure" my Boo. <BR/>When I arrived in Ireland I had to seek out services, but when we got a placement I then had to reach out and start networking. I did this much as I had as a rep' but this time it was to ensure links with fellow parents, (mostly Mums) who would not be shocked by the "poo conversation" and who could even share a joke.<BR/><BR/>I needed help in those days, I still do a lot of the time, but I also reach out and offer help when I can. And that makes me feel useful and connected.<BR/><BR/>So get on the phone to our local advocacy association,ring the helpline on 1890 818518. Find out where your local support group meets and ask them to put you in touch. <BR/><BR/>When they call, arrange to meet them ASAP. Okay, you may not "click" with this person in the same way you did with your long term friends. But you will have one thing in common and if you can start socialising with the group, you will meet others.<BR/>The point is to look outwards a bit and get connected.<BR/>xxLisamareehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18445509438246694219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5827743438706478479.post-44403285127407367222008-04-03T09:27:00.000+01:002008-04-03T09:27:00.000+01:00Sharing…that’s a good one.Sharing…can you share wi...Sharing…that’s a good one.<BR/><BR/>Sharing…can you share with your friends?<BR/><BR/>Sharing does not come easy to me…never has.<BR/>But now? My best friend of 20 years phoned me last night to discuss the size of her new boyfriend’s…hands (yes we are over 30, thank you). How can I ask her “what will happen to my babz after I am gone?!!” <BR/><BR/>I find that I avoid my friends. I find I can’t be as sympathetic as before that their granite on the worktop does not match the one in Taj Mahal. And I know that no matter what they will say they will not understand what we are going through. So at the moment I listen and I don’t share and I <BR/>pretend to be interested, and I know that I am really- I just have too much on my mind at the moment.<BR/><BR/>So can you share with friends? I hope so…eventually. VAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com