Unlike some older brothers, I never set him on fire, or cut off an arm or leg, or drowned him in the tub.

And my experience in the music scene had shown me that there were places for places in the world where misfits were welcome.

When Martha first met me, I was anxious and jumpy. I was always tapping my foot, rocking, or exhibiting some other behavioral aberration. Of course, now we know that's just normal Aspergian behavior, but back then other people thought it was weird, so of course I did, too. One day, for some reason, she decided to try petting my arm, and I immediately stopped rocking and fidgeting. The result was so dramatic, she never stopped. It didn't take long for me to realize the calming effect, too. I like being petted and scratched. "Can you pet me?" I say when I sit next to her.

There are plenty of people in the world whose lives are governed by rote and routine. Such people will never be happy dealing with me, because I don't conform.

Simply making myself aware of others has remarkably improved my social life. People accept me much faster now that I ignore them less.

I don't really understsand why it's considered normal to stare at someone's eyeballs

Saying you "have" something implies that it's temporary and undesirable. Asperger's isn't like that. You've been Aspergian as long as you can remember, and you'll be that way all your life. It's a way of being, not a disease.