A RETIRED computer technician with an extensive self-shot collection of locomotive videos is not about to describe himself as ‘neurospicy’.
Roy Hobbs, aged 65, had long battled to have his unusual personality and obsessive interests understood by others even before the additional challenge of Gen Z telling him his autism is actually a superpower.
He explained: “We didn’t have all this social media when I was younger, nor would I have been interested. I was happy with my trains.
“But now my niece, who is trying her best, informs me that I am a ‘neurospicy icon’ because I spend all my time at rural train stations or on internet forums arguing about model numbers. I’m not sure I agree.
“‘Spicy’ is factually incorrect, because when we attend Indian Heaven I always have the same korma and plain naan, and the neologism of ‘neurospicy’ is uncertified by the Oxford English Dictionary so has no fixed meaning. When I told her that she said ‘see?’
“It’s great that people are more understanding of autism nowadays, but as one of the symptoms is struggling with change perhaps they could stop renaming everything all the bloody time.”
Niece Sophie said: “I thought Roy was boring because he only talked about British Rail Class 390s, but he’s actually super cool and autistic like this 17-year-old goth girl I follow in Australia.
“Maybe I should put them in touch?”
