Introduction….

Updated 4/12/24

I’m an old man; I turned 70 in January 2023. The following February, I came to
the understanding that I am autistic. Now, I’m coming to understand what that really means…

My name is Frederick Symington, and hopefully this blog will depict, from deep inside, how an undiagnosed autistic kid could  grow up, live, and retire into old age, undetected until the age of 70. The only way I can do this is start somewhere, and grow out; bullet points and place holders for information that I haven’t typed up yet. The unfortunate part about doing it like this, is that I will need to go back and edit earlier entries that have already been Published. When re-publishing such an edit, I will correct the Date at the top of the page or post.

This site is a tightly coupled blog and web. There are many links in the blog that reference web pages, and links from page-to-page in the web. As the blog grows, older blog posts will be edited & updated.

Now, along with this factual account of some of the significant parts of my life, I may interject explanations requiring a few autistic musings. I have included two static pages: my résumé, and photos of me playing “Secret Service” for a few days. And don’t forget to say “Hi!” To Ralph.These are not here out of ego, or to impress anyone. They are here because they validate my life for me. Due to my background & autism, I used to find validation for my life from other people. That is to say, that I was truly needed by someone else; love, support, money, etc. Now, while I am loved, I’m not “needed” by anyone. Therefore, I can only validate my existence by my accomplishments. I put them here, as a sort of permanence; I exist, right here in this website. This history will allow me to emphasize when my undiagnosed autism helped me, and where it limited me.

What I hope to accomplish with this convoluted mess is a blog, and website, where seniors (and almost-seniors) who discovered their autism much later in life, might find some information or scenarios that resonate with their lives & issues. With a little luck, I might actually help someone. Even if I only get to help just 1 person get through their autistic challenges, it will have been worth the effort.

While I would appreciate comments, suggestions, or just observations, no comment will be made public if the commenter states a request for anonymity.

You can also email me (if anyone still uses email) at:
fss@AutismAndOldFarts.com

             Embrace the Difference  ~fss