I've been thinking about that myself quite a lot lately as I cope with recovering from a serious illness that is imposing highly significant changes on my life.

Queer aging, with its inevitable limitations, is no romp in the park, probably for anybody. But lately, I've been contemplating how my autism might be making things even more difficult for me, because of my seemingly innate resistance to, or fear of, change.

Just as a trivial example, I'm under strict doctor's orders to radically change my diet. If I don't comply, the consequences are likely to be extremely painful, not to mention life threatening.

So, those changes should be easy to accept, right?

In theory, sure. In reality, not being able to look forward to meals with the pleasure I used to has left me feeling depressed and joyless. I'm a pretty accomplished amateur cook, to put things in perspective, but I can barely use my skills anymore.

I'm trying to focus on learning new culinary skills, to focus on excitement/joy in new, different experiences, but my autistic brain seems to be fiercely resisting me.