Phone Calls and Aspergers

I rarely pick up and answer my phone when it rings. Only two people get the luxury of hearing my voice on the other end of the line (a phrase from way back in the day when voices were teansmitted along actually phone lines and not airwaves), my son and my therapist.

Talking on the phone tends to be an exercise in frustration and miscommunication and I tend to avoid unnecessary angst whenever possible.

Today. Ive recently started dating a nice gentleman and we were scheduled to get together around 1, so when my phone started singing its familiar "answer the phone, b*tch tone, I looked and saw it was "boyfriend" calling. (I have a strong aversion to using the real names of people, so they get a nickname or unique moniker. This guy I am dating is new and I failed to come up with something clever, yet, so "boyfriend" it is for the time being.)

I only debated for a second or split before i picked it up and flipped on "answer". I did that based on the fact of the time of our impending get together was close and surely he was calling to alter that upcoming time with a cancelation, confirmation or change of plans.

Even though we have been seeing each other only sparsely, a few times, it felt good on the inside to hear his voice. He has a wonderful deep voice that flows slow and steady, a delight to mine ears. He was calling to reschedule but with a caveat, he invited me to visit him at his workplace today, at the place where his boss had requested him to be instead of keeping our date.

Okay.

And I said yes, maybe I will stop by to see him at his place of work. I kept it an open possibilty without absolutes but I really like the idea of seeing him and the consideration of someone actually wanting me to visit them. Some sort of mutual attraction is taking place and it is quite new.

Back to the phone call. I thought after he stated his purpose for the call that the call eould end. No. He asked me what I have been up to lately. We engaged in a small, give and take, conversation on the phone. This is new, indeed. After I shared small aspects of the days since I had seen him, I asked him what was new in his world, my common way of inquiring how someone is, like instead of "how are you?" I tend to ask "whats new with you?"

He gave me a slow steady stream of a few highlighted events happening in his life. We had a conversation!! This Is Huge and something new for me.

I had a brief 5 to 10 minute phone conversation with someone other than my don or therapist, And it went very well. Exciting and groundbreaking. 

Maybe this old school, 60 year old Aspie can indeed learn new tricks and evolve.

All is well in my world.