A Quick Trip To Cleveland
As I mentioned a few times, one of my coworkers at New Story was a girl named Savannah. She was one of my first friends when I started working at New Story during the 2021-22 school year. She and I became very close over the course of our first year working together, so much so that when she got married at the beginning of our second, I was invited to the wedding (A Wedding In Wooster).
About a year ago, I learned that Savannah and her husband, Liam, were planning to move to Cleveland, which inevitably happened last summer. On Wednesday, June 28, 2023, Savannah and I met for the last time before she moved that weekend. After getting lunch and hanging out for about an hour, we began walking back to our cars.
“Okay,” I said as we hugged goodbye, “I’m giving you 7 months to settle in, and then I’m coming up to visit you!”
“Looking forward to it!” She replied
Last Saturday, January 27th, 2024, I got to Savannah and Liam's house around 11:30. When I pulled up, Savannah texted me that her dogs, Milo and Korra, were going to be a bit crazy when they first met me. I reassured her that it wasn't a problem and walked in.
After meeting the dogs, Savannah showed me around the house. I said hi to Liam, and then Savannah and I went to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. We saw a couple of 3D shows, I did a VR thing where I was a pterodactyl, and we walked around the museum. After the museum, we went to a Mexican restaurant. While we were there, we continued to catch up on how things were going in each other's lives. After returning to the house, we watched TV for a bit. Then we went to a sports bar for dinner, returned to the house, played Mario party, and watched a Bo Burnham comedy special.
Now back in A Wedding In Wooster, I mentioned that Savannah and Liam’s wedding was the first one I went to that I was not in the wedding party or a family member of the bride or groom. As a result, I felt a little out of place, but the fact that Savannah invited me made me feel better about her and my friendship. Another factor in me feeling out of place at the wedding, however, was that Savannah and Liam’s families are so neurotypical, and I didn’t have any previous connections to them that I just felt a little lost.
I didn’t mention it in that installment because I didn’t think the point that I’m about to make would mesh well with an installment about a wedding. The entire time I was visiting, Savannah was obviously anxious, making sure that I was comfortable. To be fair, I think this is just because she’s a good host/person, but I want to use it to explain what our friendship means to me.
There are some people in my life that I feel like are only my friends out of pity. Obviously, this does not include my family, people that I consider family, Paige, or most of my friends, but there are a handful that I just feel only keep a friendship with me because I have autism. Savannah is someone who, by all accounts, shouldn’t really be my friend. Yes, we got along and hung out a handful of times outside of work, but when you really get down to it, she's just my coworker.
What makes our friendship so special is how accepting Savannah is of me despite just being my coworker. She has always been there for me and has always been willing to give me advice. And when I ask for advice, she doesn't treat me like I'm an idiot because I misread a social cue. I'm not saying she's the only one, but when I think of my neurotypical friends who truly support me, Savannah is one of the first that I think of!
Have a Greattastic day and be safe!
J. Mitchie Ulibarri
No comments:
Post a Comment