I’ve never had a problem making friends, being professional, or talking to elders. But I’m laughably stunted when it comes to romantic relationships. Please tell me I’m not the only one???

It’s so weird. All my life I’ve had little trouble making friends with people my age, and I’ve always charmed the older generation. I have held a variety of jobs (I was a co-op student so I’ve been working for a while) and never had a problem with collaborating, interviewing, being professional, even training at times. In fact I’m pretty respected at my current work.

But when it comes to romantic relationships, I feel like a teenager lol. I’m taking a much needed dating break now, but I look back at dating blunders I made less than a year ago and they are CRINGE.

I don’t want to get too detailed, but in one example I broke up with someone over text and I feel like the biggest asshole. In another instance when I was having difficulty navigating a relationship, I wrote my thoughts down and sent a document that outlined my needs and wants to the person I was dating. They found it weird, like I was drawing up a “contract.” (Tbf, this was a complicated polyamory situation and emotions were rough).

I was a late bloomer and didn’t date in high school, didn’t meet my first partner til I was 23. I often felt like people who date speak a different language, or they all read a manual I never received in the mail.

My therapist thinks I may be autistic. But like I said, I’m decent at all relationships save romantic ones. Could I be “selectivel” autistic?

Or is it all just practice? Then how come some people can marry the first person they ever date? Like my parents? Dating just BAFFLES me lol.