UNMASKED: Snippets & notes from a lifetime collection of journals (pre-diagnosis).
Advocating for autistic acceptance.
October 13, 1993
Days and days have flown past – here they take flight much as years do in the outside world.
Kalpita Pathak
Age 18
COMMENTARY:
They say time passes differently in different dimensions. In the outside world, I tended to reminisce in years, as in “I can’t believe ‘Groove Is In Heart” came out three years ago! Seems like just yesterday!”. In the hell dimension that was my freshman year of college, I tended to panic in days, as in “I can’t believe today is Monday. I thought last Friday was yesterday and I still had the weekend to finish my paper.” No wonder I love reading and writing speculative fiction. ✍🏾📝📚
Things that are hard on their own are exponentially harder when combined. My freshman year, these things included navigating social situations (24/7 with a roommate), administrative deadlines, classes, homework, feeding myself, sleeping, laundry, showering, constant sensory overwhelm, every single thing was so very demanding and impossible, no break ever. Time moved fast and I was always several days behind. Burnout in 3, 2, 1 …