Cheeseburger in Paradise Made Mom Cry

No. My mom doesn't cry when she hears the Jimmy Buffett song. That's my dad, he hates Buffett for some reason. However, I think he secretly likes Cheeseburger in Paradise since he is a fatass and loves cheeseburgers. Sorry dad.... No, my mom cried for a different reason. Let me explain...

Dad imparting his wisdom near Forrest's bench

All this cold weather got me to thinking of warmer times and family fun on our summer trips last year. We do an annual Griswold drive down to Hilton Head South Carolina every year and this past year added a day trip to historic Savannah while there. Savannah is great. I got to see lots of landmarks where my favorite movie, Forrest Gump was filmed. That's me and dad in the picture,  sitting in front of a fountain not far from where the famous "bench" scene was filmed. The bench is no longer where it was in the movie as it became a hazard due to all the tourists taking pictures in the middle of a busy street. It's the South, people, not Times Square. So, on this day trip, we stopped for lunch at a bar, I mean restaurant that has food, along the river in the touristiest (made up the word) part of town. Sitting in front of the bar before you walk in was a homeless guy and his cute little white dog (who ironically looked like my cousins' Cella and Lauren's dog Buffett). Of course I had to play with the dog a little before gruff Dad dragged us away and into the restaurant not even giving the guy a chance to cash in on his dog's hard work. That's cynical Dad. During the meal, I needed to be escorted in and out of the restaurant as usual due to my tantrums and shoe throwing, each time spending a little more time with the dog. Every time we came back in and Mom said we should give the poor guy some cash, cynical Dad would gruffly shut her down telling us all we would not fall for the man's ploy. I think he does this so my Big Bro and Big Sis will learn the ways of the world and not be easy marks for people when they grow up...

After an hour of my act, my act got old and Mom dragged me out kicking and screaming while all of the other patrons watched, jaws slacked. Dad "volunteered" to wait inside with Big Bro and Big Sis to pay the check. Mom instructed Dad to wrap the leftovers to bring to the man outside. Dad rolled his eyes. Mom and I played with the dog a little more and watched the freighter ships go by, but Dad was taking too long so we went back in. When we got to the table, the check had obviously been paid, but Dad was still waiting. That's when the waitress came back with a white paper bag. I wondered if it was a gift for me, but I could tell Mom knew what it was right away  as she started to cry. Yup, compassionate dad had bought a cheeseburger and fries to take out to the man. And he did this so my Big Bro and Big Sis will learn the ways of the world, and not be self centered jerks when they grow up. He explained to them that the man deserved a real cheeseburger if we were going to give him anything at all, not our scraps to further chip away at his dignity, and not our money which might further why he was in that situation in the first place. The cheeseburger was a perfect solution. The dog even got our scraps.

So, next time you pass a homeless person, dog or no dog, on your way to lunch or dinner. Give them 5 minutes of paradise by feeding them a hot cheeseburger and fries. Especially on these cold winter days. If you do, share it with me on Facebook so I can smile too.

Be a Hero not a Zero

I just read a sad news report that authorities may soon be identifying remains of a body found in the river to be those of a severely autistic boy who's been missing for a while. His name is Avonte Oquendo. He wandered out if school one day in Queens NY and disappeared. Even though everyone began a search immediately , it was too late. http://usat.ly/1jcmdpK

Do you realize how many people he may have passed that day or days on way to his fate? It's New York, so safe to say he must have crossed paths with many people. It's also a fair assumption that some of those people would notice Avonte had a problem given the severity of his Autism. If they had just been a hero and taken the initiative to help him, he would be safe with his parents now. 

I have many friends who succeed very well in life in spite of their challenges, 

me included. But there are some challenges we can't overcome on our own, especially when we are removed from our protective environments. Being alone in NYC would fit that bill. I know that if you ever saw me wandering the streets alone, you would grab me and keep me safe. Actually, this happened to me once when I snuck out of the house in my pajamas and was walking down the middle my road. My hero was my neighbor Cheryl, who didn't just assume my parents were watching. She grabbed me and brought me home. Thanks Cheryl. 

So next time you see a kid or anyone for that matter who looks like they might need a little shepherding, don't be a zero, be a hero. 

Thanks For Nothin...

My Mom gave me a great idea for this week's blog post. She told me to thank my friends for not making me special. No, she didn't bump her head, she's right on point. Let me explain. I currently  have way more friends than Mom, Dad, Big Sis and Big Bro put together. Sorry to brag, but it's true. I have great friends at Shady Grove Elementary, the Ambler Y, Challenger Baseball, Wissahickon Middle and High School to name only a few. I've even poached my parents' and siblings' friends. If I ran for mayor, I am fairly confident I would win.... 

Now to what I am thankful for. I am most thankful for what my friends don't do for me. Almost all of my friends make me feel, well, not-special. I am Sam and they treat me like Sam. And for that, I cannot thank them all enough. Look, I know I'm different and have the need for help that they don't, but in the end, don't we all. We're all different last time I checked. By not treating me special, they don't make me feel too different from them. I know it's hard for people not to treat others with special needs with kid gloves or too protectively, and I know they don't do so with poor intentions. But the more you treat someone with special needs just like you treat everyone else, the more you make them feel like everyone else. So, to all my readers, learn a lesson from my great friends and treat everyone the same no matter how different they are from you...

It's 2014. Do Something Good.

It's my first post after the holiday break. I've been playing with all of my toys over and over. I should be hired by the toymakers to test the toys for repeated abuse. I've only broken 3 so far. I've also been skiing in Vermont with a friend who is also a special needs ski instructor with whom I have skied for the last 3 years, Mark James.  With Mark's help, I was able to ski without a tether or harness for the first time this year. This means that I will be a terror on the slopes fairly soon. Even though it is Mark's job to help me, he obviously does his job for other reasons. He treats me like a normal person while being the most patient and enthusiastic instructor. He withstood some abusively cold conditions while using his bare hands to fish out a kleenex to wipe my nose which would continuously form snotsickles as Dad calls them. Always with a smile, Mark never gave up on me. He was as ecstatic and proud as my parents to see me ski without the tether. Spending time with Mark got me to thinking about people like him who seem to make the lives of others a little better, especially the less fortunate. They don't do it for money or fame, but my guess is, they get rewarded in ways that money or fame cannot compete with. There are lots of buttheads out there who make lots of money or have lots of fans who do nothing for anyone which is sad. I won't embarrass people like Kanye, the Kardashians, Miley, Tiger or A-Rod by naming them, but you get the point. During this time of year when everyone swears they will better themselves by making some soon-to-be-broken New Year's resolution, why not just commit to doing something good for someone else this year. You don't have to teach a handful like me to ski or swim or play tennis like Mark James or my great swim instructors at the Y, Cait, Christine and Lauren, or my Big Bro and Julia of Tennis Buddies, you just need to do one small thing for someone who isn't like everyone else. With that, I would like to start the new year by thanking everyone who made a difference in my life in 2013 and everyone who will make one in 2014. Happy New Year everyone!!!!