2 Social Events Today

Events like these can stress me out.  I can prepare for them by reviewing my observations, and in fact did so today.  It helps, but I still get stressed around a lot of people and commotion.  I tend to get very distracted by all the activity going on and have a tough time focusing on any one thing.  I also have issues talking to other people, being concerned with saying the "wrong" thing.  One resource that has helped has been the Living on the Spectrum book by Dr. Valerie L Gaus.  From this I learned to gauge my closeness to others and thus appropriate topics.  Typically, I repeat to myself "shared experience and common interests."  Those two topics are pretty safe in any situation.  Off to my second event.