Friday, October 11, 2013

Family: The Bean Bag

During the summer of 2007, I took my then 3 year old son Timothy to the park near our home for an annual event called the Multicultural Festival.  It is a gathering of many people from different cultures where ethnic music, foods and exposure to local community organizations is made possible in one convenient location.   One booth that we visited was sponsored by the local library.  There were books, fliers and information about obtaining a library card, the most important non-credit or id card in one's wallet.  Timothy was not too interested in the offerings on the table but he did immediately gravitate towards the library's hands-on activity which was a part of their booth's display. Someone had taken an old cardboard box, a pretty large one at that, cut it open and painted one side to look like a school bus.  It was yellow, with black lines and of course windows which were cut out.  The "school bus" was propped up by some kind of make shift easel.  The point of the activity was to stand in front of the "bus" which was "parked" sideways and throw several bean bag(s) through the windows of the bus.  When Timothy came to the front of the line for his turn and approached the activity, he immediately and confidently took the bean bags and walked around the "bus" and theoretically stepped inside the bus, like he was going to take a seat and look out the window.  His idea for how the game should work, was to throw the bean bag(s) out of the window of the "bus" as opposed to throwing them from the outside to the inside.  In hindsight, it may have appeared that Timothy was performing the activity wrong but really he was performing it the way he interpreted it.  He threw the bean bag(s) in his own way, his right way.  It is the first time, I can honestly remember thinking, Timothy was different from other kids his age.  

4 comments:

  1. Love this...can't wait to read more. ��

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  2. Thanks Christine. Will write again soon.

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  3. After reading your post and your words on how Timothy sees the world differently, I thought this photo essay would interest you. Thank you for sharing your journey, Eleanor.
    http://snapme.ca/a-father-photographs-the-world-of-his-autistic-son/

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    1. Thanks Tiffany! I am still getting the hang of all this technology but it is good to write about my feelings. Hope your day is great. Eleanor

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