When I’m asked, “How does all of this feel?” I know I have to have an answer that is at once both sincere and prepared. No gratitude clumsily balanced by some shy list of accomplishments. I’m a person for whom social nuance is absent. That’s key. That’s autism. Yet publicly and privately, I’m still expected to navigate the minefields deftly—called out when I don’t. It’s ironic, really. A bit like chiding a blind person who trips over your foot … while she’s competing in the Special Olympics … where you are part of the cheering crowd. Not quite fair.
