The Thread I Did Not See Until Now Today something small happened at work, and somehow it opened a door to a much bigger realization. A customer came in who was a veteran and a member of the American Legion. He asked for the veterans discount, which I gave him. When he thanked me, he said something that caught me off guard. He thanked me for my service. Then he invited me to come to the American Legion anytime and play bingo with them for free. I have never served in the military. So my brain immediately went, wait, that is not accurate. At first it felt awkward. Confusing. Like a sentence that did not line up with reality. But instead of brushing it off, I sat with it. And the more I thought about it, the more a pattern started to appear. When I was in middle school, I received an American Legion school award for patriotism, courage, and academic achievement. I was also offered a scholarship from them if I went to college. I never ended up going, but the offer itself mattere...

I just had a customer come in and buy some oil for his transmission. I do not remember what kind or anything else about the transaction. What I do remember is how he jarred me out of my inner world so suddenly that I completely forgot what I was doing. Now I am fighting to keep from spiraling and trying to stay grounded in the moment. This is one of those invisible moments people do not see. Life with autism can be both a blessing and a curse. And when you add dissociation, anxiety, and depression into the mix, it can get really hard, really fast. Sometimes the hardest part is not the customer. It is trying to find your way back to yourself afterward.

Boundaries Are a Belief Reflection Something unsettling happened at work right before closing. A stranger came in and started talking at me, not with me. He launched into conspiracy stories about secret camps, governments, aliens, and needing weapons to prepare. I did not believe a word of it, but that did not stop my body from reacting. It was loud. It was intrusive. It was scary in the way sudden chaos is scary. I removed myself, got food, came home, and went straight under my blanket. That part matters. Regulation came first. When I told him I was an atheist and did not believe any of it, he replied that it must be nice to not believe in anything. That comment stuck with me, because it was wrong. I do believe in things. I believe in the golden rule. I believe people deserve respect. I believe consent matters. I believe boundaries are real and should be honored. I believe no one has the right to dump fear into someone else without permission. Those bel...

Chronicles of a Quiet Fighter, Life Update, Projects, and a Hard Day I Need to Share It has been a minute since I have written a new post. Life got loud. Work got wild. And my brain has been juggling about four big projects at once. So I wanted to sit down today and give everyone a full update on what is happening with the website, my books, and my life in general. Website Project Update The website redo is coming together. I have been rebuilding pages, updating the layout, and adding new features that make it easier for people to read my stories and follow my projects. I want people to step onto my site and feel like they walked into a calm space. A place that feels like me. The redesign is almost finished and I am excited to show everyone the final version soon. Publishing News Roxy and the Storm Inside is officially published. This one means a lot to me. It is the first in the Quiet Fighter therapy style series and it is built to help autistic kids and famili...