What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

[REPO Man]

If you can't figure out how to get to a bus station how the fuck do you think you'll survive in a completely new city with a massive cost of living?

In NYC such a problem wouldn't be as prevalent. Even after taxes if i worked 60hrs/week, I'd be making close to two grand a month.

And that Greyhound station is 100 miles away. I can manage 7-10mph on my bike in favorable weather. Also an Uber is over $230.

Meanwhile, NYC has subways and buses. Just assume it'll take twice as long as the schedule says. If I'm living in Brooklyn and working in Manhattan (the reason why is inconsequential here) and the train says it'll take 45 minutes, assume it'll take 90. If my shift is at 9, get there at 8:30. Working backwards, plan to take a train that leaves no later than 7. But also plan on going somewhere other than home after work. If I have a second job nearby, bring my things for that job with me when I leave the house. If I end up going out with some coworkers plan on bringing a change of clothes or what have you.

Basically plan on showing up early, the buses and trains running late and being ready for anything.

[marurun]

So anyway, I'm learning the hard way about overindulging a hyper-focused child. In supporting their Pokemon habit they are becoming obsessive. They want to pretend to be a Pokemon all the time, and let me tell you, there is nothing fun for the parent to that, sadly. It also makes them disagreeable. So we're trying to enforce some variety (episode limits on the Pokemon TV series, for example). I don't want them to not be interested in Pokemon, but I really want them to have a healthier ability to move between interests and not be so fixated. Fingers crossed!

[prfsnl_gmr]

Good luck!

If he’s like my children he’ll go very quickly from “very obsessed with Pokémon” to “you can get rid of all this Pokémon stuff, now” almost overnight.

[REPO Man]

I find lots of interests have a lot of overlap. With Pokémon, one might convince a child to go exploring in the nearby woods or park (supervised, obviously) or volunteer at an animal shelter. Considering how there's a Pokémon subseries in the Mystery Dungeon series, which could lead to an interest in roguelike and roguelight games.

Another example would be if your kid likes Disney movies, check out non-Disney musicals (Alan Menkin did Disney and non-Disney musicals) or introduce them to a wider selection of animated works.

TL;DR, use their current interests as a jumping point for other interests.

[Flake]

In case you all forgot, I'm on high-functioning autistic, so things you can do easily aren't as easy for me.

Oh fuck off.

I am a high functioning autistic, too. Yeah, things are harder but everyone has something that makes shit harder.

You figure out what you can do and you do it. You have to actually fucking do it. That is your problem - not autism, not where you live, not who you are. You don't do anything but talk. You're an author that never sits down to write. You're a cyclist who never gets on their bike and rides. You're a chef that refused to cook anything. You're the greatest film maker who will never produce anything because you're waiting for the world to hand you everything. Guess what? The world doesn't care about you and is not on its way to make your dreams come true.

You want to move to NYC? Buy a ticket and go. Oh? You don't want to move there with no money? Start a career in a different field and save your money. Oh? You want to focus entirely on your art right away? Start doing films exactly where you are. Do you think Kevin Smith was like 'oh man, I'm going to make the coolest movies about wacky characters based on my friends but only as soon as a miracle happens and I am suddenly living in LA?'. No, he got a camera and filmed Clerks in the convenience store he was working in. You're not even trying to break into the business at an achievable level. Terry Matalas is practically running Star Trek these days - he was Rick Berman's errand boy in the early 90s and worked his way up, building a name for himself.

Stop blaming your own lack of initiative on high functioning autism. You make the rest of us that bust our asses, figure out a way forward, go to therapy, and actually TRY look bad.

[marurun]

@repo the problem isn’t getting him into other things. He has lots of interests. He’s just VERY focused on Pokémon right now.

[REPO Man]

In case you all forgot, I'm on high-functioning autistic, so things you can do easily aren't as easy for me.

Oh fuck off.

I am a high functioning autistic, too. Yeah, things are harder but everyone has something that makes shit harder.

You figure out what you can do and you do it. You have to actually fucking do it. That is your problem - not autism, not where you live, not who you are. You don't do anything but talk. You're an author that never sits down to write. You're a cyclist who never gets on their bike and rides. You're a chef that refused to cook anything. You're the greatest film maker who will never produce anything because you're waiting for the world to hand you everything. Guess what? The world doesn't care about you and is not on its way to make your dreams come true.

You want to move to NYC? Buy a ticket and go. Oh? You don't want to move there with no money? Start a career in a different field and save your money. Oh? You want to focus entirely on your art right away? Start doing films exactly where you are. Do you think Kevin Smith was like 'oh man, I'm going to make the coolest movies about wacky characters based on my friends but only as soon as a miracle happens and I am suddenly living in LA?'. No, he got a camera and filmed Clerks in the convenience store he was working in. You're not even trying to break into the business at an achievable level. Terry Matalas is practically running Star Trek these days - he was Rick Berman's errand boy in the early 90s and worked his way up, building a name for himself.

Stop blaming your own lack of initiative on high functioning autism. You make the rest of us that bust our asses, figure out a way forward, go to therapy, and actually TRY look bad.

I wasn't blaming my problems on my autism. Plus no two people on the spectrum are the same.

Also, with a $60 phone can't replace as much equipment as you think.

I ride my bike all the time. Why do you think the chain keeps getting stretched out? And while it's roughly average, I can manage 7-10mph in good weather.

And I've written before. I've written a story on the No Sleep subreddit ages ago. And I routinely write stuff all the time if I have the time and the muses are screaming in my ear.

I'm not a chef, but I can cook really well. I sometimes make these bomb-ass Keto friendly savory waffles made from egg whites, cheese, bacon and hot sauce. Basically they're frittatas in a waffle maker, but still. My problem is I have no oven or even room for one.

I can't make my bike avoid breaking, just like I can't ask the rain to stop. I can't make time stand still so I can drum out the great American novel. I can't shoot something on my cheap phone and ask the audio to sound better or the video to be clearer.

[Flake]

My bike breaks, I fix it.

Film YouTube level films on your phone, develop a following. Start a patreon. Then crowdfund for better equipment.

Unless you think (gasp) that maybe you cannot create a film anyone would like and talking endlessly about moving to NYC and becoming a director is just a delusion?

[SamuraiMegas]

If they're going crazy about the interest I'd recommend picking up books or comics about whatever it is so you can get a bit of quiet while they get their fix.

Repo, it's time to face the music man. You aren't going anywhere anytime soon if you stay where you are. You want to make a straight move to New York but you obviously can't afford it - why are you not planning around this? Work sucks where you are? Move somewhere else for a year to make some money or you'll be stuck in your "dying area" even longer missing out on opportunity. No one here believes your excuses anymore.

I've been reading you talk about moving to New York since I was in Middle school. I now have fully started my career and am in college. I could fly to New York right now if I wanted.

[REPO Man]

And let me guess. Where you live, there's a nearby airport. The closest actual airport where I live is in Norfolk, almost 2½ hours away. But if yours is just as far, let me guess. You can drive there.

Must be nice to "drive to the airport" and "ride on a plane".