I was trying to get something done this afternoon until I was accosted by both John and Tony. It was apparent that unless I gave up and took them to the “swimming pit” they were going to make my life hell. I hate to give in when they are relentless like that, because it teaches them to do so, but I gave in more for my own sanity than for anything else.
John was saying that he HAD to go to the pit because ALL of his friends were their. He told me that he would get lots of exercise to prepare for football. And he said that it was very well supervised because there were police officers that drove through all the time.
We were there for three hours. At first, I found it funny that John spent his whole first hour watching his brothers swim, talking to nobody. He didn’t swim. Not a single police officer came by the whole time we were there.
But then Tony reported that John told him he couldn’t be around him because he was white. John now denies it, but I called Ricardo away from John and told him that if Tony couldn’t be with him, then Ricardo couldn’t either. I think Ricardo was relieved because he and Tony actually were able to spend an hour swimming without having to do what John was doing.
But as John sat, alone, fully clothed on a bench, I went from finding the whole thing funny, to finding it sad. He had no friends there, and he doesn’t know how to make any. He didn’t swim either. Just sat.
Finally, some of John’s friends showed up -- Tony’s age and white. I found that ironic.
Then as we were coming home, Tony said something about John that set him off, and he was threatening to hurt him. So when we got home I made Tony come into the office with me. He simply cannot keep his mouth shut and one of these days John is going to blow.
It appears that John has been purposefully not taking his meds. He pretends to and either cheeks or pockets them, so his edgy and borderline assaultive behavior has an explanation. But it is annoying to have to make a 16 year old show you under his tongue and both his hands and check is pockets every time he needs to take his pills.
So now we’re back home, and I’m in the office with Tony, waiting for our dinner guests to arrive. Bart is probably wanting me to do something else besides blog and keep Tony safe.
Heavy sigh. Better head up there.
John was saying that he HAD to go to the pit because ALL of his friends were their. He told me that he would get lots of exercise to prepare for football. And he said that it was very well supervised because there were police officers that drove through all the time.
We were there for three hours. At first, I found it funny that John spent his whole first hour watching his brothers swim, talking to nobody. He didn’t swim. Not a single police officer came by the whole time we were there.
But then Tony reported that John told him he couldn’t be around him because he was white. John now denies it, but I called Ricardo away from John and told him that if Tony couldn’t be with him, then Ricardo couldn’t either. I think Ricardo was relieved because he and Tony actually were able to spend an hour swimming without having to do what John was doing.
But as John sat, alone, fully clothed on a bench, I went from finding the whole thing funny, to finding it sad. He had no friends there, and he doesn’t know how to make any. He didn’t swim either. Just sat.
Finally, some of John’s friends showed up -- Tony’s age and white. I found that ironic.
Then as we were coming home, Tony said something about John that set him off, and he was threatening to hurt him. So when we got home I made Tony come into the office with me. He simply cannot keep his mouth shut and one of these days John is going to blow.
It appears that John has been purposefully not taking his meds. He pretends to and either cheeks or pockets them, so his edgy and borderline assaultive behavior has an explanation. But it is annoying to have to make a 16 year old show you under his tongue and both his hands and check is pockets every time he needs to take his pills.
So now we’re back home, and I’m in the office with Tony, waiting for our dinner guests to arrive. Bart is probably wanting me to do something else besides blog and keep Tony safe.
Heavy sigh. Better head up there.
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