To think the hilarity just wasn’t necessary?

@DonnySue awww hugs hen. We all like to reflect on conversations that make us really ruminate.

My bestie has what she calls "process poo" and she toddles off after a chat for a poo and a think. Like a 5 year old, except she's 47 😁

Our family all take the piss out of each other for daft things, all in good humour though, never nasty. This is definitely something that we would do to one another if someone went outside to "reflect" on a group conversation. Doesn't sound like it was malicious. You need a thicker skin OP 😂

I don’t think she got the joke either as we often reflect on things we see or talk about. Example York dungeons. After the tour we sat in the park for a bit to reflect on it. I really can’t understand what is so odd about it, I think it’s weirder to leave somewhere like that and completely forget about what you’ve just seen

What makes you think people completely forget about what they've just seen, because they don't grab a bench to sit on and reflect?

I do think they were rude to laugh to be honest...it's sounds as if you're all very different and struggle to understand each other maybe? You seemed agitated that they were talking about something you didn't want to talk about and they were mocking because you chose to do something they wouldn't do.

Do you have many common interests with each other?

Op, I speak as someone who loves history too, group conversations cannot be dominated by one and only one subject, they move on, ebb and flow, go off on tangents, not everyone will be interested in all parts of the conversation and that is fine, it is just how it goes.

You were bored and fed up by the conversation moving on to Donald Trump and wanted to change it back to what you were previously talking about but others had had enough of that topic and that is fair and reasonable. Walking out when you were no longer interested and trying to move the topic back is a bit rude, I'm not saying you intended to be so but that is probably how it came across and their reaction was to make a joke of it and I'm not saying they were right to do so either. It's a case of six of one half a dozen of the other, it's done now don't dwell on it.

Oh you're so sweet OP. No there was no need for that, and it was a bit mean but I can see why they thought it was funny and it gave them a bit of a laugh. I'm sure they were just teasing, no malice intended

Maybe they didn't know how to handle your behaviour? It seems like you were pretty rude. The conversation moved on to a different topic and when you couldn't get it back to medieval history you walked off. When you came back into the room you then again tried to get the conversation back onto your chosen topic, ignoring that they had moved the conversation on.

I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been to a museum that has gardens and benches.

Honestly, anyone here ridiculing OP must be about as deep as a puddle! I personally think that taking oneself outside to reflect on the discussion sounds chic and I wish I was the sort of person who’d do this!

The Open University,maybe?

Honestly? I've been to loads.

Mostly manor houses that have been turned into museums, but lots of larger ones too.

Honestly, OP, it's almost as if each of your posts is aimed at getting a diagnosis of neuro diversity. But this one is a real classic.

I'm sorry you were laughed at, but I do wonder if it might be worth your while exploring the idea of researching your quirks of special interest and organisation.

I think don’t think it’s impolite to leave if people talk politics/religion/money and it makes you uncomfortable.

I often reflect on things. I love history but my reflections are often work related but sometimes other topics. Sitting with a cup of coffee looking out over my garden it’s my favourite reflecting spot. However, I don’t leave mid conversation to take a moment. That’s clearly rude and odd. Don’t want to talk about Trump? Just say “oh I can’t stand that man can we not give him our headspace and talk about something else?” You don’t swan off to have a historical reflection moment.

You can be intelligent and thoughtful without being rude and frankly, weird.

I once had to gently tell a friend that perhaps, if he really wanted a girlfriend (I know he desperately did) he shouldn't start the conversation with a 5 minute monologue about the latest harry potter fanfiction he spent all night reading, and I say that as someone who asked for recommendations! Theres nothing wrong with it, but there is value in recognising your own unusual behaviour and how it appears to others.

We shouldn't have to mask ourselves but it's a tool we can use to our advantage when needed. I'm ASD myself and my behaviour puts people off and I'm incapable of recognising why sometimes. It's so easy to think our own behaviour is normal, that we are normal but in fact we are not. We are wonderful, unique, thoughtful people and that comes with stigma and misunderstanding from the normies.

Recognise your own specialness but also your own weirdness.

As for your family, if you feel their reaction was mean spirited or this is part of a pattern where you leave feeling lesser, perhaps time to rethink the relationship..if however it was gentle and affectionate then perhaps it's best to laugh at yourself a little. It's an important lesson for your daughter which ever you choose as she may face the same choices in the future by the sounds of it.

The Natural History museum has beautiful gardens.

I just don’t see why the OP is being called pretentious. She did not relay that comment to the room but in private to her young DD who, it appears, is familiar with process of reflecting on new information/experiences. We don’t all treat everything as superficial. This was a group of family members in an informal setting and leaving the room for a short time cannot rightly be defined as “ very very rude”, surely?
Alternatively, the sister’s continued ridiculing is very rude and unacceptable . Many do not seem to be able distinguish between banter and bullying.
OP if you feel able approach your DS privately and tell her how you feel and ask her to consider her behaviour in future because her “humour” is not appreciated.

OP have you taken the AQ50?

For goodness sake, someone can have special interests without being autistic.

Wow.

Why is that wow? It’s a genuine question. But then, I don’t think it’s a negative.

From an outsider it looks like you had a hobby horse topic, people tried to change the subject and you weren’t interested in listening to other’s thoughts and interests in their subject and sat outside on your own. I would probably have a laugh if a child did this, let alone an adult.

It’s the self indulgence of it all that I’m so taken with! “You don’t swan off to have a historical reflection moment” but what if you did? How romantic, how whimsical! I must try it sometime

I think they were being unkind
I don't understand how what you did was rude either; you said you were going for some air so they had no way of knowing it was because you wanted to think/weren't enjoying the conversation topic. It only became an issue when they heard the reflection comment back from your daughter which you never intended to share anyway. How can it be pretentious if you were trying to keep it private?

I wouldn't have tried to redirect the conversation BACK to history afterwards, that might have made things worse

I think you should join a club or something so you can talk about it as much as you'd like in an environment where it's considered okay to do so