Monday, 26 June 2023
It’s a bright and cool Monday morning. I had a much better night’s sleep, courtesy of the rain last night which did the job of cooling everything down perfectly. I woke feeling refreshed and ready to face the world.
I’ve made a good start to the day; I’ve already emailed my supervisors about what I need for my return to uni. My own thoughts are that I need to crack on with the thematic analysis, start making notes, sorting out articles to read and critique, and many other tasks. Something positive that has come out of what my mate said to me on Friday is that I’m determined to give this my best shot and do my very best and see where it leads. I’m still angry and annoyed at what he said and the way he said it, an arrogance that he is right beyond belief, a complete lack of knowledge and understanding about what I do and why I do it, no knowledge or understanding of mental health and the impact that can have on so many areas of a person’s life, no knowledge and understanding of how mental health affects me, and a contemptuous belief that he is right and I am wrong, when he hasn’t got any of the facts right. If he starts on me again I’m ready for him and he’ll see a side of me that he might just regret seeing.
Anyway, I’m moving on from what ill-informed dickheads think about me and concentrating on the positives in my life, namely carrying on with my research and being the best person, I can be despite what some arseholes might think.
I wonder too whether he is prejudiced against people with hidden disabilities and mental health problems in general, or is it just me? It’s a very interesting question and one I have yet to find the answer to.
I’ve been into uni today for the first time in months and it was great! It felt so good, so natural, to be back in an environment I feel comfortable in, where I feel I can be my real self and I don’t have to pretend to be someone I’m not just to fit in with others. It wasn’t plain sailing; it was never going to be. I had to get a new student card so that I can access the buildings and systems, and this involved going to several different locations, but it was all good in the end. I’m back in my office, back at my desk and I loved it.
I’ve joined the university gym, Unique Fitness, too. I’ve been past it many times, but today was the first time I’ve been in, and it’s a great little gym. It’s modern, clean, really good equipment and a good atmosphere. I’m looking forward to working out there, especially on the spin bikes and a machine I saw that looked like a torture machine. On top of all this I’ve paid £20 for 3 months membership, so I really can’t go wrong.
I came home early because I’d forgotten my reading glasses, and everything was getting blurry. Once home, something to eat and then a nap on the sofa. One of my new mantras for uni is that I sleep when I want, and I don’t overdo it too much. The gym comes in handy here with it being onsite and a short walk from my office.
I had a nap and then when I woke I played games on my laptop. I shouldn’t have, I know, but I did, and then later on I popped to Tesco’s and got a bottle of wine to celebrate being back at uni. A late night ensued, but it was a good day.
The Autistic FellRunner 