Set The Stage
I was recently diagnosed with Autism and ADHD. I've written about it and will plan to write more. As of August 22, 2025 the only published piece is autism-adhd-and-the-doshas. This story will recount one of many events in my life that in hindsight were clear-cut examples of how my brain consumes and understands reality differently than neuro-typical people...
Story Time
When I was 24ish I was working at a summer camp as the head of guy's staff (camp consellors). It was typical for the leadership team to get together the week before the camp to get to know each other if we didn't, plan activities, etc. For team building the plan was to go to Chattanooga and do an escape room.
I had never heard of an escape room before and I am not being hyperbolic or obtuse when I tell you that my first thought was of a dungeon. I was told "you get locked into a room" and I asked "are you tied up?". I'm a little surprised the ridiculousness of that question didn't prompt more conversation... I love the folks I served with, and maybe they were conspiring against me, but no one said anything to bring much clarity to me. And after not getting an actually straight forward answer to "are you tied up" I decided to just shut my mouth because everyone else was excited... even though I thought we might be going to a literal dungeon.
Trust
I had to exercise so much trust in my friends out of fear of looking stupid but my inability to understand the words "escape room" any differently, or more contextually correct, led me to an anxiety filled walk to the lobby of the first escape room facility I've ever been to. And no, there were not chains dangling from the ceiling.