<p>Well, I return to this board after two days. I have just went through hell. Two days ago, I was putting my backpack in my little truck after stopping by my parent’s office, and since my dad is there, he happens to see a costume of McGruff from the days when I played cartoon characters as a volunteer for a local law enforcement agency. Two hours later, he calls me at home and asks me to play a character using that costume named Dash the Dirt-Hound at one of my family’s companies (They have 4.) events. Of course, since I absolutely love playing cartoon characters, because it gives me a chance to be around children. I definitely want to be a father someday, if I can find a mother who is so wonderful (we love each other, we do everything for our kids) that I couldn’t imagine my life without her. Anyways, we arrive at the site of the event after a 4 hour drive, and immediately problems start because of the environment that this event is taking place in (a dirt race track). It attracts all sorts of unsavory rednecks who are addicted to loud cars, cigarettes, and beer. That is definitely the type that I do not want to be around. The loud noises (I’m sensitive because I have Asperger’s Syndrome.) frightened me so much that I tried to sit in the back of the company trailer and cover my ears, but was forced to get up by my mom and sit in a place where I had to endure intense screaming in my mind over the loud engine noises. Finally, it was time to dress as my cartoon character. I got partnered up with two other employees–a stupid redneck who smoked heavily while he was escorting me around (My vision and coordination are even more impaired while in that costume.), and his son who is ■■■■■■■■ and looked even more scary with his speech impairments and just as bad cigarette habit. WAS THAT IMPRESSING CHILDREN? After I passed out balloons to the children, which was the only good part of the night, I got dragged to the center of the event around even louder cars in order to represent the company for the race awards ceremony and the throwing of tennis balls into the crowd with prizes in them. That especially irritated me, and I wanted to cry and scream, but I held it in all through the night.</p>
<p>The night of hell finally ended, and we went home. I thought it would be over, but now I’m being told that I may have to do it again because of the extremely positive response I got. The only reason I would do it again is:</p>
<p>1.) to further my engineering career since I am unable to get a job outside of my area because everyone at school is frightened of me and all they do is tell on me to the administration and never understand it is Asperger’s they are seeing</p>
<p>2.) to not get yelled at again and never ever be allowed to go find a job outside my area</p>
<p>Of course, I wasn’t paid for this horrible experience, even though they tried to pass me off as an “employee”. I want to tell my parents that I want to stick to engineering, that there is no way in hell that I will go through that again with my Asperger’s Syndrome. How do I tell them that I want to do engineering, which I love more than anything and would want Christmas presents for, and not do that horrible unpaid job without being judged as too immature to handle an engineering job in STL or anywhere else? Please help me, I am very upset. Thank you for your comments.</p>