Jonah's Journey

weird works for me

If other people are around, my parents (each on his/her own; they are divorced) will try to make excuse for Jonah when he "acts weird" -- like when he waves his hands up high in front of his face just like (I know I have said this before) a hippie at a dead show. "He's learning sign language, so he is trying to sign," my dad told his next door neighbor yesterday as Jonah "dead-danced".

No, dad, he's not signing. He just thinks his hands look cool when viewed up against the bright, changing sky. Or maybe something else entirely, something you and I cannot understand or visualize or comprehend.

My mom lives in a neighborhood at the end of a cul-de-sac where all the neighbors know one another...they talk all the time; people are always asking about Jonah --and she has never mentioned to any of them that Jonah is autistic. I balked at this when I heard of it. To me, her being secretive about it only perpetuates the idea that we have something to be ashamed of! But my mother says she doesn't feel like listening to people throw advice and questions and theories at her.

And it's true -- there are people who will e-mail me articles on the possible causes of autism, as though I were somehow striving to be an expert in the field. These are people who know full well that Andy and I are done having kids. So, I ask you, why on earth would you send me an article about whether or not I have caused my son to be autistic by vaccinating him or by eating tuna fish while pregnant? I just wish people would think a little sometimes.

At any rate. Jonah is weird, and the only one who has the guts to say it is Andy's mom -- but she made the mistake of saying it in front of my family, who resented the statement --as if she'd called him a (insert idiot accent) "ree-tard" or something. I like that Jonah is weird, if you will -- that he sees things differently.

He is interesting and beautiful and fun.









"Whenever I'm caught between two evils, I take the one I've never tried."
         ~ Mae West (1892 - 1980)

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