Guest Blogger #15
Jim is another Kentuckian, another Navy vet, and another friend I've met in this peculiar, wonderful way of wandering the 'net. He writes at Brainwaves, and several times a week I stop by. Actually, I literally stop. He always gives me pause, a moment to think.
He's not unlike another Jim to me, really, a fictional Jim. I have a fantasy of wandering, always have, getting lost in the byways, and I think I could do worse for a raft partner on the Mississippi than my friend Jim. We could talk, marvel at the scenery, and he would, of course, be steering.
Noah
By Jim
Our youngest grandson was born a year ago this past April 13th on our fortieth wedding anniversary. His mother took him with us but two months later on our annual Florida family vacation and he cried the entire week, giving his papaw absolutely no co-operation whatsoever. They named him Noah; I didn't care for it, and I suppose he sensed my disapproval. We both survived, though, and with his parents living nearly a hundred miles away, our relationship is still a bit up for grabs, at least on his part. He has wispy blond hair, blue eyes, a huge love for his older brother and sister, and a smile that quickly wins your heart. His vocabulary is just starting to evolve. He pulls himself up to skirt the edge of some pieces of furniture, but crawling is yet preferable to any real attempt at walking. Too much help around at the moment, in my opinion, for him to get too serious with either achievement. A doctor, however, during a recent examination, thought otherwise. "Dysmorphic features," he scribbled in the midst of his diagnosis, but discussed nothing with my daughter. Believe me, when you look that up in a dictionary, you begin to worry…
After ten years in the Navy and thirty more with the railroad, I was fortunate enough to be able to "retire" in May of 2002. Acting upon my brother-in-law's suggestion, I almost immediately signed on with the public school system here in Kentucky, expecting to work maybe two or three days a week. Driving a bus was out of the question. The way my mind wanders behind the wheel, it's hard telling how many of my passengers would get delivered to the right address. No; I opted to assist in the classroom. figuring my love of algebra and language might be put to some good use. What befell me, instead, was a telephone call wondering if I might be willing to help with a ten-year old autistic boy. Part-time turned into full-time; and, when my charge then graduated to higher levels, they offered me an actual position in Special Ed. This past nine-month expedition was spent "juggling" some ten children assigned to me. Two with Aspergers; one severely epilectic; another battling speech difficulties due to partial deafness. The unit, itself, embraces everything from slow learners to discipline problems to "you name it." I have counted it a blessing and a privilege to be a part of it. I never expected to address such situation within my own home…
There's nothing definite yet, of course, In truth, all of us are pretty well convinced this particular member of the medical profession is just void of any intelligence when it comes to injecting people with fear. Still, I've often pondered what it must be like to learn to accept that which you cannot change. The daughter, in her prayers, reached for this new-fangled faith they preach, rebuking the enemy and refusing to believe anything other than a healthy child. To each their own, I guess; but experience and study has brought me to another understanding of the Gospel message. My personal anxieties in this matter were laid to rest in the knowledge of His promise to go with me even unto the end. The asurance found in Him oh so long ago is yet able to take me through any storm. His love, His peace, and His strength is big enough to contain me and Noah regardless of what tomorrow holds. If I can but share that fact with all my grandchildren in whatever time we have together, then we can not only face the world, but ourselves as well…
11:08:48 AM 
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