Black and white

For the last couple of months, Ayden and Ellyse have a game that they like to play with me. The game is see if I can make them talk or laugh. The goal is for them not to make a noise or say a word. So of course I say off the wall things, or all sorts of other techniques to get them to talk. Usually they are pretty good and can keep a straight face or be quiet. Kyle tried this game out and I learned real quick his weakness. All I had to do was say something that wasn't true and Kyle would correct me.

For instance if Kyle was wearing a blue shirt, I would say he was wearing red and immediately he would correct me. I would pretend that I had his nose and he would feel on his face and say no you don't. Kyle can not tolerate things that are not true. It is a natural instinct. If something someone says does not line up with the way Kyle sees the world he corrects it.

For Kyle the world is black and white, there is truth and there are lies there isn't to much middle ground. He doesn't function to well in decisions that are arbitrary but if there is a right and there is a wrong Kyle will let you know.

There are a few things in life that Kyle would say are wrong- the worst thing you could be in the world is a hoarder. The second worst is a smoker. Third is a litterer. Kyle thinks it is his job to inform our neighbors about their issues.

We walk through our neighborhood almost every night and visit with various people. A few of them smoke, a couple hoard, and even a few litter. The other night one of the neighbors who smokes put his cigarette on the ground and Kyle saw that immediately. He started to complain at the neighbor.  The neighbor was a good sport and picked it up and showed Kyle it as he threw it away.

I many times envy the black and white view of life that Kyle has. It is very easy for me never to make a decision because I analyze it from so many different sides that it becomes muddied and not clear.

It is easy for me to justify all sorts of words I say, attitudes I have, or actions or inactions due to my mood or feelings I have at the time.

Now we are working on Kyle to start viewing other injustice' in life with as much passion and vigor as hoarding, smoking, and littering. He has started to embrace the idea that hoarding in his room might be fun.

It is refreshing, and helpful in our family to have someone that cuts through all the side issues and fluff to the core issues and states it in black and white terms.

Sometimes it is easy to overlook a handicapped person's knowledge and intellect but when we do we miss on simple and profound truths.