On a trip to a grocery store a few months ago I encountered someone we would now call neurodivergent or "on the spectrum" I guess — somewhat vague terms to describe people that seem to range from the socially awkward to the non-communicative. Apparently the number earning this diagnosis is going up. Part of this is increased awareness, most likely. I've always felt a sort of silent kinship with socially inept people. I die a little inside when I see a painfully shy person being teased for being who they are and instinctively pull back when I recognize someone like that to accord them some space. A woman at the coffee shop I go to has all the tell-tale signs of a shy person but obviously she's putting herself in a public setting so good on her. For our first few interactions she kept her eyes downcast and didn't smile but on my last visit she recognized me and smiled a little. Small triumphs. My shyness is a sort of taciturn demon I've mostly managed to tame ...
