Hi belM!
In my family, we are known for our strange "subject hops" mid-conversation, which are associated with the same kind of associations that Temple Grandin describes. We are all used to it, and those who spend too much time with us can follow (or at least accept) them. My husband still gives me a look of confusion, occasionally, when I make a strange change in conversation topic - but it is always connected in some way in my mind. So I also wasn't terribly shocked at Temple Grandin's train of thought, because that is also how I think. I can't give any good examples right now, of course...The Yellow Submarine reference was good, because I used to say that for every sentence someone said, I could come up with a song that was related in some way!
And yes, I do get tired of thinking. That is where Taekwondo comes in handy. You are concentrating so hard on (a) not falling over, (b) not getting kicked, and (c) trying to get a kick in on your opponent before they move, that all the crazy, active thoughts and worries you were having that day vanish, and you become totally focussed on one thing. I guess it's not really stopping the train of thought, but only listening to one component of it, for a while. It helps to clear out the debris from all the othe trains of thought, all the little bits which were going nowhere but just adding to the feeling of anxiety about life, the universe, and everything. This also happens when I play a musical instrument.
