What if you love friendship—but don't actually have very many friends?

In this episode of Late to the Spectrum, Geoff Kullman explores friendship, loneliness, belonging, and the complicated relationship between wanting connection and needing plenty of space.

Growing up, Geoff loved having friends. Friendship meant joy, laughter, safety, and acceptance. With the right people, he didn't need to hide the quirky, weird parts of himself. He could simply be himself—and they accepted him exactly as he was.

Today, Geoff has a very small circle of close friends. And while he's often perfectly comfortable with that, he's also spent much of his life wondering whether there was something wrong with him because he didn't have more.

• Why does someone who genuinely loves people sometimes prefer to be alone?
• Why can being with the right person feel completely effortless, while being around the wrong people can be exhausting? And...
• What happens when you realize that you're not necessarily looking for more people—you're looking for people around whom you don't have to perform?

This episode isn't about how many friends you should have.

It's about the difference between being alone and being lonely, the importance of being known, and what it means to find people with whom you can simply be yourself.

And maybe the question isn't:

“How many friends do I have?”

Maybe it's:

“Who can I be completely myself around?”

If this episode resonates with you—or you have questions, thoughts, feedback, a story to share, or even disagree with something Geoff says—send an email to podcast@geoffkullman.com.

Because Late to the Spectrum isn't supposed to be just one guy talking into a microphone. It's supposed to become a conversation.

Next week: The Rabbit Hole

Remember... we might be late to the spectrum, but we're not late to life.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if you're not tired because you're doing too much—but because so much of what you do requires you to be “on”?

In Episode 4 of Late to the Spectrum, we explore a question maybe you've been asking yourself, too:

Why am I so damn tired?

For Geoff... from teaching and preaching to public speaking, social situations, sensory overload, and simply trying to keep up with everyday life, he looks at the difference between being busy and being on—and why the latter can leave him needing hours or even days to recover.

Geoff also reflects on what that exhaustion has cost him over the years: missed gatherings and social opportunities, networking connections, time with his wife and kids, and—perhaps most importantly—the enjoyment of things he actually wanted to do.

But this isn't an episode about avoiding anything difficult. Sometimes, things are worth being tired for! The question is whether we understand the cost well enough to decide what's worth paying for.

If you've ever wondered why something you genuinely enjoy can leave you completely depleted, this episode might give you something to think about.

And if this episode resonates with you—or you have questions, thoughts, feedback, a story to share, or even disagree with something Geoff says—send an email to podcast@geoffkullman.com.

Because Late to the Spectrum isn't supposed to be just one guy talking into a microphone. It's supposed to become a conversation.

Next week: Friends, But Not Many

Remember... we might be late to the spectrum, but we're not late to life.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if you got so good at being “normal” (or acting neurotypical) that you convinced yourself—and everyone around you—that there was nothing different about you at all?

In Episode 3 of Late to the Spectrum, we explore the idea of masking and whether much of Geoff's life has been spent learning how to fit in, perform, and appear comfortable—even when doing so came at a significant cost.

From public speaking and small talk to eye contact, social rules, and the difference between public Geoff and private Geoff, he starts asking a bigger question:

What did masking cost me?

This isn't about having all the answers. He's still figuring out what was masking, what was simply personality, and what happens when you finally become aware of the difference.

And maybe the questions Geoff is asking about his life will get you thinking about yours.

If something in this episode resonates with you—or if you have questions, thoughts, feedback, a story to share, or even disagree with something Geoff says—send an email to podcast@geoffkullman.com. He'd love to hear from you.

Because sometimes the most important question isn't “Can I do this?”

It's “What does it cost me?”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.