The future scares me. The Pessimistic Me dominates my internal deliberations when I try to prepare for the future. I’m an odd mix of pessimist and optimist, which isn’t easy to explain. A friend said that’s true of other creators and entrepreneurs. Yes, I gamble on the future, but I prepare…
Tag: anxiety
I constantly stumble over the past in may daily life. A sound, an image, or even a smell might trigger a traumatic memory. The memories might be external, things that weren’t personal to me — national or global events that continue to bother me. I live in a comfortable, safe,…
Podcast 046; Season 4, Episode 10; November 3, 2020 This podcast is scheduled for Election Day in the United States, November 3, 2020. Though I have some interesting episodes with guests recorded, I decided this was not the week for episodes on education or general health topics. Instead, the election…
Podcast Episode 0039; Season 04, Episode 03; September 15, 2020 I’ve always been anxious. I was probably born anxious. Is that an autistic trait? It seems to be one I share with most autistics I meet. An Anxious Autistic Me, Aging Welcome to The Autistic Me Podcast. I am Christopher Scott Wyatt,…
Trauma comes in many forms. I don’t wish to suggest they are all equal — they are not. But this blog post discusses the emotional abuse teachers intentionally and unintentionally inflict on students. As a teacher, I’m sure I’ve said things that upset a student over the last 30 years.…
“You need to smile more.” Professor in graduate school. “You need to stop seeing all the negatives around you.” Colleague at a university. “Why are you always depressed?” Teacher at a conference. The perception that autistics are depressed is a common stereotype. Commenting on things I want to fix, noticing…
It is that time of the year when I check the job market with the goal of being employed after the school year ends. The anxiety is accompanied by the self-recrimination for not obtaining a STEM degree to qualify for the jobs I know I could do, including teach in…
Although I am complaining lately that my syllabi, lecture notes, quizzes, and homework prompts have yet to be finished, the reality is that I look forward to the start of school and the return to scheduled, predictable days… and a paycheck. I’d be content sitting at home and writing. That…
Each new semester begins with anxiety, doubt, fear, and insecurity. Teaching means standing before a group of people, trying to convince them you are going to say and do something worthy of attention. This was difficult teaching at a mid-range state university, a land-grant research university, and even a small…
The following is the latest in a sudden “bubble” of stories about autism and access to spaces: churches, schools, and now airplanes. I have kept only the major sections of the story and suggest reading the ABC report. Autistic Boy and Mom Kicked Off PlaneMother Says Flight Crew Should Have…