Jon was 21 when i had the stroke. If he’d been any younger i’d have missed out on going down to the park with him. If he’d been really young he’d have been very frightened by the way i talked. I know my nephews were. I still talk the same way now. Mandy would’ve had a hell of a burden to carry. As it was, Jon was an integral part in me getting better: he made sure that i was in the recovery position back then and that an ambulance was on its way. He did a hell of a job and proved to me how much he’d grown up. His quick actions that day gave me a chance of survival, and were exactly what i needed. Without him i reckon that i would’ve had two chances of living, slim and none.
i had no idea what was happening to me, but Jon did. He looked as though he knew exactly what was going on, but he couldn’t have. Most of peoples’ impressions of him were made when he was a 14 year-old kid. He’d been thrown out of school because he liked to get his own way all of the time and, looking back at his behaviour, i’d say that his sugar consumption was definitely at a dangerous level. He couldn’t be controlled and he slept his way through detention when he should have been at school, working.
i think there comes a point in their life when everybody feels the need to grow up and be somebody different. That was the case with Jon, and i think he put his teenage years behind him on that day. I did a certain kind of growing up too. It was the start of a journey that would last for five years. I don’t remember seeing Jon until he turned up one evening, out of the blue, at the hospital in Leamington about a year later. He still needs to show some people that he’s a different kind of person today than he was when he was that 14-year old kid. He will do if he’s determined to do it.
He’s 26 now and, naturally, i want him to succeed at everything that he does. Growing up in this world is going to be a lot tougher for him than growing up was for me. Everything seems to have changed so much right now that you hardly recognise it but you know it will never be the same again. It only seems like 5 minutes ago that i was heading home from my mum’s place but it wasn’t. It was 5 years ago. It’s like no time at all in the grand scheme of things. We’ll never forget what happened on that day, though.
It was very lucky that your son was there indeed to help you. In a way, maybe this was the price you had to pay for him to turn his life around. I'm glad Jon grew up that day...
ReplyDeleteIt can't be easy for kids to grow up without difficulties. The world has changed so much and so fast, no one can adjust from moment to moment with all these changes, and unrest and availability to illicit drugs and alcohol , etc... So much is thrown at them and everyone. It's a totally different world than when we were growing up carefree. The worst we did was sneak some cigarettes and hid to smoke to make us feel grown up. Pretty stupid but pale in comparaison to what kids gets into now... Even a lot of the food is prepackaged and full of preservatives, throwing the body out of balance and slowly making people sick. Stress is rampant and so much messages coming at people from every directions. Funny, all this is happening at a time when we have so much good information and knowledge but who is listening? Sometimes, I think we have so much knowledge that we are on overload.
I wish you a good day.
Hugs, Julia
Thanks Julia. If I could go back I would do things very differently. I feel like I have been punished and am not sure why. Everything I did was done without any kind of guidance. That was what I was lacking..
DeleteThank you for sharing that Terry. It's true that not only kids need to grow up some. I know I did after I burned out. I had to realize that life was what it is and either I fought it or I worked with it and tried my best. You're very inspiring to me. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Rain. You’re inspiring to me. You always give everything to whatever it is that you do and Alex is a lucky man to have you. Your exploits at cheese-making and the great meals you make are an amazing achievement.
DeleteI really enjoy all that you share about your journey. It's very inspiring. Many go through rebellious stages during their teens and most eventually grow out of them. Sounds like your son is doing very well.
ReplyDeleteFeeding him with sugar is the biggest mistake we ever made.it was disastrous. Being wise after the event is what we’re guilty of. Sugar affected his whole personality and turned him into a monster.
DeleteI think everybody grows a bit when they have to, such as facing an emergency like your son had to do, or facing a change in health like you had to do. Regret is not going to make things different; all we can do is keep looking ahead and try to use our new knowledge to make a difference going forward.
ReplyDeleteWise words, Jenny x.
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