Atypical Erin

Who am I?

Do you echo?? A line from a movie, a commercial, something from a song. Echolalia is the repetition of words, phrases, or sounds you’ve heard before. Sometimes it’s immediate. Sometimes it shows up hours or days later. It’s not always communication. Sometimes your brain just finds a phrase, decides it’s perfect, and wants to keep it. I often use movie lines or song lines to reply to questions or comments when they make perfect sense.

A fun thing about being neurodivergent is realizing other people just…know things about their bodies. They’re thirsty before they’re dehydrated. Hungry before they’re shaky. They p*e when they need to. Interoception is your brain’s ability to notice and interpret internal body signals. Some neurodivergent people experience it differently, which means basic self care can feel less like “listening to your body” and more like solving a mystery with limited clues.

The psychological experience of feeling like you’re responsible to everyone’s good time.

Literally peak . Giant campground, public pool with kids splashing and Abraham Lincoln five miles down the road. If you’re looking for a 90s summer, I’m not sure something more pure exists.

Annoyance is the price of being around people long enough for it to matter. Community sounds good in theory…connection, support, shared experience. In practice, it’s group texts that won’t die, scheduling that never works and sometimes opinions you didn’t ask for. Real community means proximity. And proximity means exposure. You see how people think, how they communicate, how they misunderstand things, how they repeat themselves, how they show up imperfectly. And they see all of that in you too. That’s the trade. You don’t get belonging without irritation. You don’t get support without inconvenience. You don’t get depth without some level of friction. The hard part is that annoyance feels like a problem to solve. But most of the time, it’s just the cost of staying connected long enough for something meaningful to exist. You can opt out. A lot of people do. It’s quieter. It’s easier. It’s also thinner. So you decide what you want more: predictable peace, or real people.

I actually know the answer… Executive functioning tasks are often hard with ADHD because they’re not actually “one task.” They’re a chain of steps that require initiation, sequencing, sustained attention, and follow-through. That means your brain has to organize, prioritize, and transition multiple times before you ever feel done. Add in sensory variables (noise, heat, physical effort, textures) and the task can become cognitively draining or physically uncomfortable in ways that aren’t obvious from the outside. Blow drying your hair is a perfect example of this. It’s repetitive, isolating, and blocks most forms of stimulation (you can’t scroll, multitask easily, listen to music, talk to others) while also requiring physical effort and tolerating heat and noise. For an ADHD brain that runs on interest, novelty, and external input, that combo creates friction at every stage, which is why something so simple can feel disproportionately hard to do.

The shine on this ring is stunning. I love to let the light catch it and see the color turn. 🤌 ✨ Anything eco conscious right now has my attention. My ring is made from recycled glass (think discarded cocktail glasses) and is mounted on sterling silver plated pewter. smart.glass.jewelry

What horrible thing has your partner said to you?

Who can relate? As a millennial neurodivergent in the corporate space I’ve found ways my brain serves my career farther than work against it. Come hang out.