07-09-2021, 09:10 AM
When my kids were going to school there was an autistic kid named Lawson . He never said anything to anyone outside his family . He could read , knew math but had zero social skills . The ladies club from River John called the RJ's would rent the swimming pool in a close town to here to have swimming lessons for free for any kid that wanted it , that meant all !!! My wife was a swimming coach and after the 1st day she asked me if I would come and keep an eye on Lawson . After the 1st day lawson would be waiting by the pool for me and then it happened . He asked me if I knew who the Blues Brothers were .What a shock . When we jumped into the water he said " I'll be Elwood and you be Jake . He sang every tune by the Blues Brothers and then switched to Patsy Cline and sang perfectly . No one could believe what they were hearing . lawson and I would swim around by ourselves ,him singing and telling me about his cat . I could see that he could swim pretty good so I asked his mother just how good could he swim . She said not bad at all , he loves the beach . Stupid me said " Lawson, do you want to jump off the diving board " the smile on his face was something else . There were 4 lifeguards ,3 instructers , his mother and me . Up Lawson went ,TO THE HIGH BOARD !!! with everyone on high alert off he jumped right to the bottom of the pool . And back he came to the top of the water and that was it . This was a 12 week program and I don't think any kid missed a day . On the last day one of the lifeguards had about 30 sheets of music printed off and when Lawson went for his final leap of faith all the kids stood at the shallow end and when lawson jumped they all started to sing " Flip , flop and fly , I don't care if I die There was never a happier kid anywhere . And then he went back to not talking to anyone BUT !!!!! when his mother drove past my house ( she was a mail delivery lady ) he would lean out the car window and yell " Jake it's me Elwood "
WHY ?????!!!!! me
WHY ?????!!!!! me
