An autistic woman does an accidental impression of the nodding bulldog from the Churchill adverts whenever she tries to engage in normal conversation, reports have claimed.
Krista Shure, 33, has insisted that she is simply trying to show that she’s listening, explaining: “I’ve learned from bitter experience that it’s not enough to listen. People want you to do a listening face. They want a full listening performance, sometimes even with costumes and props, like when you have to pretend to take notes in a work meeting even though you’ll remember what they’re telling you because it’s bloody obvious.”
“I’ve been told that my listening face looks like I’m chewing on a wasp that’s also somehow lemon flavoured,” she continued. “So I dialled that down and got some nodding involved, but then my colleague asked if there was something wrong with my neck.”
“I panicked and said I had a neck injury, so now I have to wear this huge, unnecessary neck brace every day for the next 12 weeks. At least it will be more comfortable than admitting that I don’t know how to nod.”
Colleague Olivia Buckingham, 40, commented, “We were all so sorry to hear about Krista’s neck injury. We’ve got her some flowers and, later today, we’re going to present them to her in front of everyone. Shh! Don’t tell her. She’ll be so pleased.”
Shure revealed that she plans to replace the nodding with a double thumbs up. “I’d better stock up on thumb splints, just in case.”
Headline by Sara Gibbs
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