5-12-12

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The Story of Me part 39

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March 30, 1997

Leo and Harmony were out of school for spring break and he had spent everyday with her at the Harrison’s house. Together they had dyed Easter eggs, watched TV, eaten ice cream and played outside until Leo had to return to the group home for the night. Today, Leo was going to church with the Harrison’s for Easter services.

Leo wasn’t sure how he felt about the whole church thing, but it was important to the Harrison’s and they were important to Harmony. That made it important to him. He had walked to the Harrison’s and sat on the porch until he heard them up and moving around in the house. As always, Leo had arrived early. Mary knew that he would be waiting outside for them so she opened the door and while offering him breakfst she let him into the house.

Leo rarely spent time at the group home. He was required to check in after school on week days, but other then being in house before dark at night his days were his to spend as he wanted. Many of the boys at the house used the free time to get into trouble. They hung out on the streets, stole things from stores and people that weren’t careful with their wallets or purses. Many of the boys even joined gangs and set themselves up for a life of crime, a prison sentence or even an early death.

Until the day Leo met Harmony, he had been heading down that path. He was following the example of the boys he had surrounding him, because it was the only example he had. Harmony, had shown him a different path and she didn’t even realize it. The beautiful but scared little girl had walked into class on the first day of school and Leo had fallen in love with her right away.

He saw her sad green eyes and wondered how and why anyone could ever hurt her. He watched her blonde hair as it fell across her shoulders and it looked so soft he wanted to touch it. Then he saw her tears as the other kids had teased her and more than he had ever wanted anything he wanted to protect her.

Leo decided that day he would become someone worthy of Harmony. He would stay
out of trouble, do his school work, protect her from the playground bullies and grow into the kind of man who would make someone like her proud.

On the ride home from churh Leo asked the Harrison’s one question after the other. He was fascinated by the sermon and wanted to know everything there was to know about church, God and Jesus and what Easter meant. He wasn’t able to make the connection between church and the colored eggs he and Harmony were heading home to hide. The Harrisons indulged Leo’s questions and gave the best answers they could give. They were pleased when they offered to take Leo to church again and he agreed to go before sitting back in his seat and smiling as he watched the world go by through his window.

You really do learn it all in Kindergarten!

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I know that at some point in your life you've read the Robert Fulghum essay Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten and I am here to tell you that it's true. It's really true! I just didn't realize that I would learn things after 800 years of teaching or that the lessons would be taught to me by a tiny little 5 year old boy.

Sebastian isn't shy and we have some very interesting conversations. The most interesting ones seem to take place in the bathroom. I'm not sure why, but the kid gets very talkative in the bathroom.

There are days when our bathroom conversations are the only reason I smile. There are also days, like today, when the conversation is just so awesome it makes me want to cry.

I could put together an entire very inspiring and hilarious book of our talks. You know, kind of like Tuesdays with Morrie but I would call mine Bathroom Conversations With a Five Year Old Super Hero. It would be a best seller too! Of course, his poor mom would be really embarrassed by some of the funnier conversations and she would probably need to change her name, dye her hair and move to another country. lol!

Sometimes, Sebastian sums up the conversation with a final statement. For some reason, he especially likes to do this after the more awkward talks. It's kind of like the final thoughts segment on the Jerry Springer show. lol!

On Tuesday, he ended the conversation by saying, "Now, if you ever have a little boy, you know why you need to buy him floaties."

On Wednesday I was wheeling Sebastian into the bathroom and he decided to start playing the copycat game. You know, the annoying game where you repeat everything someone says. Once I caught on to what he was doing I decided to try and get him to say things like "I want to give Ms. Brown all my money." Instead, he said, "I don't have any money." lol!

After he copied me a couple more times I threw out a quick, "Ms. Brown is the prettiest." Sebastian responded by asking, "Do you always want to be the prettiest?"

Now, I know that as a semi responsible adult I should have told him that beauty isn't important and that it's what is on the inside that counts. But, there is an unspoken honesty rule to our bathroom conversations and so while the grown up me knows that there are more important things than being pretty, the little girl inside of me that wants to be a pretty, pretty princess had to answer, "YES!"

Without skipping a beat Sebastian said, "Did you know that even if you weren't pretty people would still think that you are because you're nice to them."

I commented on what a sweet thing that was for him to say and Sebastian continued by saying, "It's true. All you have to do is be nice to people and they'll think you're the prettiest ever. They'll talk to you and they'll help you if you need something just because you were nice to them."

I started rolling his wheelchair out of the bathroom and he told me his final thought, "Remember, just be nice."

For me, it was one of those moments where you're smiling and fighting back tears at the same time. All I could think was how amazing it was that this little boy who will never "look" like every one else knows that it doesn't really matter when there are adults still struggling to learn that lesson.

A tiny little boy who knows that there are magical powers in kindness.

Forget about Spiderman! This kid is a true Super Hero!

So, what do you guys think? Should we all try our best to be nice today and channel our inner beauty queens?

Another conversation with OCG...

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OCG: How was your day?

Me: Awesome! I haven't seen that black car in two days. I think I scared the guy off!

OCG: OK.....or, his vacation ended and he went home.

Me: Maybe, but when I tell this story it's going to end with him getting out of town before I went all Rambo on his car.

OCG: Why do I hang out with you?

Me: Because I'm awesome!

I won't tell you what he said at this point, but if he hadn't been paying for dinner I probably would have gone all Rambo on him. lol!

Really, I like Wisconsin!

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OK, I've never really been to Wisconsin except for maybe once when I was a kid and we drove through a little corner on the southern end of the state on our way to somewhere else. But, I've seen pictures and they all look very pretty and every year some nice people from Wisconsin send postcards for my class.

I've also got some awesome blog followers from Wisconsin and once I even dated a guy from Racine, Wisconsin and.......and.......

OK, maybe that last example wasn't the best one to use cause I was a hot young thing in my twenties and he was a Captain in the Marine Corps and he broke my heart!

But, I know that wasn't Wisconsin's fault or even the Marine Corps. It was his fault and his alone! I was an awesome girlfriend and he was lucky to have me!

I wonder if he still lives in Orlando?......I should look him up......

NO, NO, NO, I will not look him up! It is best to let old boyfriends from Wisconsin....uummm....I mean... just old boyfriends in general.....and sleeping dogs lie!

Sorry, thinking about Wisconsin makes me think about him, but I still love Wisconsin! HONEST!

I just don't love the driver of the black Mercury Cougar with Wisconsin tags that was here in my neighborhood.

I know people from Wisconsin deserve vacations and we're happy that you visit south Florida when you could go anywhere in the world.

Seriously, you could go anywhere....and yet you come here... where we already have enough traffic. But we're glad you do. Honest!

Really, I love tourists from Wisconsin! I just love them a little more when they walk or take taxis or take their foot off the brake and drive the speed limit.....and well, you know, when they weren't Captains in the Marine Corps who broke my heart for no good reason!

Now, that I've thought about the black Mercury Cougar and ex boyfriends from Wisconsin I'm going to go eat some chocolate and cry myself to sleep.

For those of you that missed my original post about the black Mercury Cougar and are wondering why I was upset you can read it here.

Getting back to normal...

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I actually had a very productive weekend! I got caught up on lots of things! I did more laundry than anyone should ever do, I cleaned (yuck!), did some stuff for school, and started working on an order for end of the school year presents. I also managed to get a haircut, do some shopping, order fajitas and take several naps. YEA ME!

As proof that things are getting back to normal I have to let you know about the conversation I had with Orange Croc Guy on Saturday. We were going out for a late lunch and as we walked down the street I spotted the black Mercury Cougar with Wisconsin tags and sprang into action...

ME: OOOhhhhh.....follow that car!

OCG: Ginger, we can't follow that car. We're walking.

ME: So, it's not like he drives fast!

At this point, I actually stepped off the sidewalk into the street, but the car decided to take off and it moved faster than I've seen it move before!

OCG: That guy is going to get a restraining order against you. Get back over here before you get hit by a car.

ME: If this were the movies, you would steal a car for me and we would be following that jerk right now.

OCG: If this were the movies, I would steal a car to get away from you.

ME: No you wouldn't.

OCG: Whatever you say.

Yep, things are getting back to normal around here!

5-6-12

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