Why I started up this blog to begin with? Some of you may or may not know I am one of these people that happens to be 'on the spectrum'. This results in unusual behaviour, which (in turn), has landed me in trouble. And in wanting to understand myself, how other people 'tick' and what I can do to get along in the wider 'society', I have been prompted to study the social sciences, including psychology.
Additionally, Asperger's, Autism and other psychiatric, psychological and behavioural problems which are associated with being 'on the spectrum' often make such people stick out like a sore thumb and this can lead to being bullied by others as well.
One of these is the way those 'on the spectrum' laugh. And this is one of my long-standing traits, habits, behaviours - I laugh 'funny'. And often this has occurred at the least expected moments, and most often when something pops into my head and gets stuck there. Times like when I am in church (definitely a 'no no'), in a public place (like crowded public transport), or when I am up late and can't sleep and something funny happens (often the person or people sharing the same quarters as myself will be asleep or at least trying to).
And it is something people either 'love' or 'hate'. Most people seem to not mind when I laugh, probably because it makes them laugh (like the writer says, it's all 'part of the charm'). There could be a number of reasons why this is so - maybe because it happens when is least expected (hence it is not 'forced'), not around other people and because it might sound 'distinctive' or different. The same why one might appreciate the laughter of young kids.
The laughter of adults and teenagers, on the other hand, is more likely to occur around others (when someone is telling a joke), they are more likely to laugh at the same things, and the people are more likely to sound 'like each other' when they do laugh.
My most recent 'bouts' of laughter have been when I was on holidays with someone near and dear to me - they were a snorer and I just couldn't help myself. I felt some 'impish' need to film them whilst during their noisy slumber. But I didn't want to wake them up, and was trying my best to keep my 'noise' down to a minimum, but still ended up waking them. I felt like some school girl being caught out doing something naughty and that made it all the more funnier. They said that if I share it on social media, they will 'disown' me etc.
Not that I would dream of embarrassing this person, because jokes aside, sleep apnea (like alot of medical condition) is no laughing matter. In many instances, snoring is correlated with obesity, smoking, respiratory problems; and it can cost the afflicted persons their friendships and relationships with others (married and/or 'de-facto' couples cannot sleep in the same room), it can affect the quality of their sleep (not enough oxygen gets into the lungs or the brain) so they wake up 'tireder' than ever, and ultimately their lives (especially if bad sleep can affect concentration, coordination, reaction times and thus lead to accidents, injuries and death).
The down side of laughing when it is least expected is that other people might think you are disrespecting some tradition (like a funeral or church service); disrespecting them personally, or both; or maybe they think you are being annoying or just don't know what is going on and hence, think I am weird, on drugs or something like that.
Hence, I had to think of things that didn't make me laugh, particularly in situations where I shouldn't do so. This had helped me keep this part of my behaviour under control and try and be a 'normal' member of society.
So anyway, this is one secret I have let you, dear readers, into: do you know of a situation like this? Maybe they laugh like this because they are 'on the spectrum'? Maybe something funny happened to them which has prompted this 'unsolicited' response? How did it make you feel?
Or maybe you have been in that situation yourself where you couldn't stop laughing (whether or not you are 'on the spectrum')? How did it make others feel? What was their response? How did it make you feel?
If so, please feel free to tell me in the 'comments' section below.
cheers,
Night Owl 🦉
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What is your own take on this situation? How do you rise above the rot?