We Think in Our Own Kind of Box.
Shane has always been bright. He has a great imagination, and sometimes he thinks so far out of the box that it is difficult to understand him.
I found a video in the archives of Shane on his 5th birthday. He was talking about a place with a skeleton – not a place I recall – and how he wished “that it was all connected.” I have no idea what was supposed to be connected, or where the skeleton may have been. Even as the videographer then, my ignorance is obvious.
I’ve tried my best.
Shane’s oddball thoughts aren’t actually that odd, if he gets a chance to explain. They’re usually rooted in something imaginative, and then sometimes go off into the clouds and come back with magical powers.
For example, Shane might make a comment about someone’s clothing being triangular, or riding a blue whale, or hallucinating a genie standing on the side of the road. What makes these comments unusual is his conviction in them, his ability to make images so real that he can’t remember if he created them when he was awake or asleep. He just sees the world from a different angle than most people.
Over the years, somewhat surprisingly, I have discovered that Shane and I think out of the box in the same way. Or else we think in our own kind of box.
It’s been wonderful having an advocate in the family, given that there are two guys with ADHD who don’t stop long enough to consider the philosophical implications of a water slide from the moon. It’s also been wonderful to learn that I’m not the only one who thinks slightly off kilter.
When I was young, I believed I was the only one who saw the world from this kind of skewed perspective. I felt very alone. I often spent my time alone. I didn’t think that anyone understood me.
In fact, I’m pretty sure I am still often misunderstood.
Through Shane, as I’ve watched him grow, I have learned that I am not as bad as I thought I was. In fact, I have learned that being weird – even though some folks don’t understand – it’s just another way of being beautiful.
Shane is bright, imaginative, creative, funny, gorgeous, bizarre, witty, and spectacular. Today Shane turns 13.
Thanks to Shane, among other good fortunes, these have been the best 13 years of my life.
Happy birthday, Baby Boy. You are as spectacular a teenager as you were a spectacular child.