A hundred moments in autism - A good place to dump a Terrence

Place.

Place is important to autists. There are places we feel immediately uncomfortable - noise, lights, structure, people, something nothing discernible - supermarkets, discotheques, 17 Malvern Terrace.

And there are places we feel comfortable instinctively, from our very first time there.

Such a place is on the beach near Bryn Mill, Swansea, my university home. The place soon becomes central to my existence,  the scene of late night walks along the beach with friends, consisting late night conversation, those conversations where anything and everything can be discussed; even emotions.

This particular place is also the home of moments.

"Let's go for a walk," says Girlfriend A.  Girlfriend A was born on 29/4/1971. We had been going out for just under a year. We walk to the place on the beach, my favourite place in the universe, where she dumps me. She knows me well enough to know that this is a safe space to leave me.

"Let's go for a walk," says Girlfriend B.  Girlfriend B was born on 29/4/1971. We had been going out for about 4 months. We walk to the place on the beach, my favourite place in the universe, where she dumps me. She knows me well enough to know that this is a safe space to leave me.