Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Panther.
Panther who?
Panths er what I wear what do you wear?
Living with autism makes even buying shoes difficult. Jack has super wide feet. Like ginormous wide. That isn’t the hard part though. Although, finding ginormous wide shoes isn’t easy. This shoe store is popular…. Waiting list popular. So I have to get Jack to wait. That is hard with autism. Waiting for anything is hard….but waiting with autism is like peeling your toe nails off slowly, ONE. AT. A. TIME. Jack can read minds. He is cool like that. Very intuitive. He can pick up on people’s energy. I guess when you can’t talk, you hone in on other senses. Jack wears head phones all the time. Not the “Beats by Dre” head phones –the headphones from Bose that SHUT OUT all periphery sound so Jack can function. He looks different. Well, very different. The woman across us at the shoe store was staring. Maybe the whole store was staring but she was the most obvious. Jack typed “I can read her. She thinks I’m a retard.”
Heart Sinks.
Quick. How can I fix this? How can I take the pain away from my sweet boy? I know!
A quick message of inspiration and a joke!
Me: “Jack. Be Confident! Ignore her. We know you are brilliant, sensitive and special. She doesn’t know better!”
Jack: “ Yes. But she keeps staring.” He’s crying now. Sad, big gloppy tears.
Me: “Wanna hear a joke?”
Me: “ “where does a polar bear keep his money?”
Jack: “I don’t know.”
Me: “A SNOW BANK!!!”
Nothing.
Me: “Knock Knock. “
Jack: “Who is there?”
Me: “Boo!”
Jack: “Boo who?”
Me: “Don’t cry! It’s just a joke.”
Smile. Whew. Crisis diverted.
Another day with autism. Now where is my glass of wine?
4 comments… add one
Kristen June 10, 2013, 6:30 pm
No matter what we say behind your back, you are a good mommy..
Betty Shuster June 15, 2013, 9:39 am
YOU are an inspiration to me, Amy Allnutt, with your more often than not positive attitude! By the way, to those of you who are reading this, I am Amy’s Mom and get to see this positivity (hmmm I think that word sums it up, do you?) I was there the day Jack was shoe shopping and witnessed the lady staring at him. It nearly brought me to tears! However, positive Amy said *Mom, I live with this every day…….get over it!!* Then she proceeded to tell Jack Knock Knock jokes. Ahhh, sweet Mom.
Tam June 21, 2013, 9:11 pm
Hi, Amy’s Mom. I was very sorry to miss seeing you for lunch at the National Gallery of Art a few weeks ago and hope you will come downtown another time. I’m Bob’s first cousin “once removed” (my mother is the oldest of the Allnutt cousins), and I agree with you that Amy is awe-inspiring. I think Bob, the girls, & Jack are all pretty awe-inspiring. I’m sad that rude and ignorant people make life harder for those struggling with challenges like Jack’s. But I’m also excited at breakthroughs in technology that make it possible for Jack to communicate and make himself known — and incredibly proud of Amy and Bob for the way they love and teach all of their children to embrace life and find their strength and joy. We have so much to learn from those with different gifts, and I am very grateful and humbled by Amy’s and Bob’s persistence in letting their family’s light shine.
Claire Lane June 18, 2013, 3:13 pm
I love this story! Made me tear up a little and then smile.
LOVE the blog, you chicks are awesome.