Jack’s mind fascinates me. It’s complex, beautiful, inquisitive and sometimes unnerving. He is endlessly curious, and has an eye for detail that would put a crime scene investigator to shame. Most people who know Jack have enjoyed at least small glimpses into the way he thinks, and whether or not they understand his thought processes, they are appreciated.
Occasionally, Jack has encounters with people who don’t know him and aren’t familiar with his particular perspective. These encounters are usually positive, with one very notable exception.
A few weeks ago, David was out in our townhome complex with the boys as they rode bikes. Jack and Lennon are on big boy bikes now, so they have a sort of free reign of the immediate vicinity, and are allowed to ride around while David stays with Kieran on his tricycle. The rule is everyone must stay within earshot, check in frequently, and pull aside for vehicles.
King of the road.
Jack failed to yield to a car coming through the complex, and the woman driving took issue. He was definitely in the wrong for not getting out of the way, but we live in a complex full of children, so the driver should have also known to be on the lookout for bikes and scooters and wild runaways. She pulled into her driveway and pounded a path straight to David.
David knew she was upset, so he called Jack over. The woman unleashed a torrent on Jack, which, apparently, he wasn’t in the mood for. She started talking about him needing to watch where he’s going, and he interrupted her, “but! but!”
“No buts!” she kept telling him.
David couldn’t look at her. He knew Logical Jack was about to take the floor, and there would be no mercy. He stepped back and let Jack handle the situation.
She continued. “When I’m coming, you need to move to the side of the road.”
He looked at her. “I don’t even know what your car looks like.”
She blinked. “Any car. You need to move for any car.” She was getting upset.
Jack, of course, did not notice. “Well, if it’s any car, how do I know if you’re driving it?”
Silence.
He went on. “Cars pass us all the time and you’re the only one getting upset!”
She looked at David. She’d had enough. I’m not sure if there was actually smoke coming out of her ears, but David was afraid it might happen, so he encouraged Jack to simply apologize.
“Ok,” he chirped, unfazed. “I’m sorry!” He turned away and sped off on his bike. The woman looked at David and huffed off to her home. We haven’t seen her since.
Sometimes I worry about Jack’s future and his ability to handle difficult situations. Sometimes I’m pretty certain he’ll be just fine.
King of the world.
