What about the wet laundry?
Still a work in progress...
The good news is that I am no longer sneaking out with the wet laundry.
Sneaking out with the wet laundry
About three weeks ago, my dryer stopped functioning. It would still spin its little motor out, tossing the wet laundry with gay abandon. But it generated no heat. And being familiar—passingly—with th…
The bad news is that I still don’t have a dryer.
Proof that you can’t have everything.
We’ve changed our Saturday morning routines slightly to accommodate the need to take the wet clothes to the laundromat. Believe me, getting Allen to change his routine is not for the faint of heart. Now we take the wet clothes with us on our way and shove them into a dryer before heading out for breakfast, Then I drop Allen off at home—because the Giant Robot Project in the backyard is waiting—and head back for the dry laundry. If I’m lucky, I might need to shove in a couple more quarters and sit with a book for a few minutes while the clothes and towels blissfully spin. Once the dryer stops, I take the dry clothes back to my car.
And Allen, who is capable of change in small doses, carries the laundry back inside. I usually get around to folding them and putting them away before the next laundry day.
Change is often not easy for autistic people to deal with. It can sometimes be the point to where they may respond to sudden changes with isolation, aggressive behaviours, repeated behaviours or tantrums, as according to Seattle's Research Hospital Research Foundation.
ASD Today
I drop hints about the benefits of our own dryer, how on winter mornings it would be SO NICE to toss in our socks and warm them up. How the gray sweatpants he washes three times a week because they’re his favorites could be quickly dried. “And we could still go to breakfast!” I assure him.
So far, I get looks and stares but no nods. Truthfully, I could just get a dryer and deal with the consequences, but I’d rather pull Allen on board with it.
And I will. He has now, like Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory, decided that “his spot” is on the right side of the new couch.
Progress.
Even those of us who are neurotypical don’t really like change! What is something you would struggle with if it changed?
Hi, Readers, I’d like to ask a quick favor. If you’ve enjoyed this post, maybe even learned something from it, would you consider sharing it on your own social media or email or even restacking it here on Substack? I’d appreciate it as I try to spread the realities of adult autism!
Change is hard Linda, especially if it is unexpected or often. In simple terms, change of view from your window can be v. unnerving... (and view from the view could be applied to so many things). I have shared your blog with others and will continue to do so.