Thursday, September 17, 2015

Autism Answer: My Son Votes For Soda (plus, Some Talk About Trump)

I was walking swiftly through the parking lot, heading to our car after returning a movie to the Redbox, expecting my son to ask me to slow down. I thought Shay, who doesn't see the joy that I do in walking swiftly, was right behind me. But when I turned to ask him a question I saw that he'd gone the other direction and was standing instead in-front of a Shasta Cola machine. 

"What are you doing?" I hollered unnecessarily. I knew what he was doing. I just didn't like it. 

However, my son loves me and found a way to tell the truth with words that wanted to make me proud. "I'm voting for Shasta Cola with my money! When I buy their cola I'm encouraging them with my money-vote to keep making delicious and cheap soda." 

That shut me up for a minute! I had to give him kudos; if I want to practice what I preach I have to applaud him for voting with his money while simultaneously accepting his opposite-from-me votes. I'm always telling the boys to vote with their words, actions, and money. And that it's not my right, or anyone else's right, to tell them what to vote for.

"Fine!" I threw my hands up in defeat. "I'm proud of you for using your actions to vote for what you want. But I don't have to agree with you!" 

We laughed the whole way home. He kept sipping the soda and calling it Donald Trump. 

"It's waking me up and making me feel good in all the wrong ways. Dangerous ways," he'd take a noisy slurp and say. Then he'd add, "It's giving me the stuff that I crave but it's doing terrible harm." He'd offer me a sip from the can of Shasta Cola and ask, "Don't you want to enjoy this delicious Donald Trump? It's got some good thirst quenching qualities! Don't worry about how they'll affect you later. Don't take time to think about why it's quenching your thirst or what else you could have that would quench your thirst but also be healthy. Don't worry, don't think about it, just drink it." He'd take a big gulp, let out a burp, and then look over at me again. "It's not even lying to me. I know all the hurtful things it's doing and I'm just swallowing it up!"

Aaaaahhhhhhh! 

This boy is hilarious, brilliant, weird, and creative; he's delightfully different from me in so many ways and also very much the same.

He keeps me flexible and open minded. 

I owe him so much!
But I refuse to pay him in soda. 
I don't vote for soda.
tee hee!


Hugs, smiles, and love!!
Autism Answers with Tsara Shelton (Facebook)

Shay at the park on our morning walk. We both vote for nature!