What is My Special Interest, and What Does It Mean to Me?

Posted on April 8, 2026

I actually have two favorite interests, one is railroading, and the other is the American Civil War. Why am I interested in these two topics? Well, with Railroading, I love seeing these steam trains in action, the sounds they make, and the different whistles each steam engine has. From the first steam engine ever built, the different railroad companies were used as a means of transporting goods and materials across the country to passenger rail systems. I have had the good fortune of living in two towns where railroading was a way of life. In my former hometown of Towanda, PA, we had the Pennsylvania Railroad that ran in that area. I even knew a man who worked for the famous Black Diamond Railroad.

Coal was big in the endless mountains of Pennsylvania for heating homes as well as for factories to make steel for buildings. Beginning in the early to mid-nineteenth century, locomotives were still a new technology, but the advantages they presented to transportation were clear. With a bit of dedication and manpower, remote and resource-rich regions could become accessible to the economic reaches of port towns and trading centers. Slate, coal, and timber from the countryside could be shipped into towns with ease now that tracks were installed through various regions. Horse-drawn carriages and old cart roads were no longer needed to transport goods into towns. Railways spread quickly across industrialized countries, making it easier to travel via the various junctions that dotted the landscapes. They also provided passengers with a way to escape the booming cities and enter their nation’s most scenic and remote regions. From freight services run by diesel locomotives to electrified intercity commuter rails to rack and pinion mountain railways. This is how railways have changed the world. I have been lucky to volunteer at two railroad museums in my life. The first was the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Baltimore, Maryland, which has many historic locomotives that are on display. The second railroad museum is the Mechanicsburg Museum, which was part of the Cumberland Valley Railroad, which is historic because it was here during the American Civil War. Our depot had the good fortune of hosting the American Liberty Bell for residents of the town to see. After the Cumberland Valley ceased operations, it became the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Penn Central, Conrail, and finally Norfolk Southern, which runs freight trains every day.

As far as my second interest goes, it’s the American Civil War. To this day, I still don’t know why I became so interested in this topic. I have had many people over the years ask me why I became a Civil War nerd. All that I can tell them is that many years ago, my mother (God rest her soul) gave me a Civil War magazine as a gift. I read it from cover to cover, and it felt as if the war came alive for me. As far as I can tell, I have no ancestors who fought in the war. When I moved to Mechanicsburg, I could not work a normal 9-to-5 job due to my heart disease. I had visited the museum and found they were looking for volunteers, so I filled out a form, and they called me in for an interview, and I got the job. I started off with a table for kids’ coloring papers. Later, I was trained by another volunteer to work in the artifact galleries, which must have been about six months to a year before I started doing it on my own. I finally got to talk about the war and answer questions. Eventually, they gave me a table of Civil War replica items to show off and talk about their history. I have been a volunteer at the National Civil War Museum for close to 15 years now. I love this job, and all of the staff treat me with respect and friendship. Everyone should learn about this dark period in our history because there could be people who do not realize they may have an ancestor who fought on either side, which could be interesting to learn the truth about.

What does this all come down to? I am an older autistic adult, and these two topics are my special interests that have helped me secure volunteering jobs that I love to do. The people who work at both museums like having me, too. I am sure there are several of us who write for ASDNext also have varied special interests, which is common for autistic individuals. Some of their interest might even lead to good-paying jobs to help them live a profitable everyday life. We like to talk about our interests a lot, but I am sure many neurotypicals also have interests, too. For me, it is like a relief valve of sorts; if I did not have these interests, I am not sure what I would be doing with my life.