The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #76512 Message #1358872
Posted By: catspaw49
16-Dec-04 - 11:55 AM
Thread Name: BS: For Tristan It's Always Joyous
Subject: RE: BS: For Tristan It's Always Joyous
The "Talented Michael" is progressing along on all fronts. He has quite a few girlfriends which move in and out of his life in a bit of a rotating fashion as well as one that is his friend whether she's a girl of not.....they're budddies and although Katie sometimes is a "girlfriend" she is always a friend. She takes no crap off of him as do the others whom he will "put on" with great glee. He told one girl he was ADD and needed meds regularly and another that he was moving soon........just pulling their chains a bit. I don't know where he gets that stuff............
His art is getting better and he still goes through periods of learning versus periods of "production." He's big on writing stories and accompanying them with the drawings in a style of anime that he seems to like. He still completely resists all lessons. The school just gave him a scholarship" to a program the Ohio Arts Center was running, but he said "Thanks but no thanks." As several artists have told us (including a Disney producer who met him at a career day for high school kids that he went along with Ricky (Conniie's son) to.......Just give him the tools and let him alone....so we do. The Disney fellow spent almost all of his time with Michael as opposed to the kids who he was there to address. He told Connie that Michael was the best prospect at the meeting and we now have his card and Mike corresponds with Sol every now and again. He thinks it's neat but pretty normal. Can you imagine being 11 or 12 and corresponding with some honcho like that? To him, Sol is just a friend and a good artist....amazing. He's getting some cool new supplies for Christmas.
He's also hitting the adolescent age and it's hitting back as we now must knock on his closed door so he can treat us to a greeting of "Yeah?.....What?" He's got a lot of friends and they spend the night quite often....his social life has picked up considrably. He does well with Tris but it's a pretty tough period now as his life moves ahead outside of the family. I find myself chewing on his ass to treat Tris better and not be so mean to him but the reality is, they are typical brothers even though Tris has a few problems. I try to give Michael some time that's his where Tris isn't always tagging along but it's funny........after awhile he comes to me and asks if Tris can do whatever it is too and he'll take care of him. It's that kind of thing that makes me more comfortable for the future. I am so proud of Michael that I could bust. He's a good kid and I'm never afraid to tell him how I feel although he is embarassed by the praise.
I posted the same story that began this thread over at my favorite racing site. It got good response but I must relate one back to you guys here. Over there I am really old as most of them are in their 20's or 30's and many in their teens. A few of us are "up there" but I do enjoy the place. I posted this in the "Fun Zone" and a young man who has become a very good friend posted something that was very special to me. Tommy would be a great 'Catter......kinda' like Meebo but with both common sense and street sense. He's very smart, well educated, passionate about racing, and has a wonderful sense of humor. Anyway, Tommy has a brother with some disabilities. Here is what he posted followed by my answer back and his response to that as well. This is one very neat young man!
I think we've already discussed this before in PM's or something, but my little brother has a physical disability and needs help with a lot of things. I remember being 12 years old, as Michael is now, and dealing with many similar situations and many of the same thoughts. Here I am just days short of my 22nd birthday and I can say in all sincerity that I've learned 10 times more from my brother than he will ever learn from me, and, like Tris, I am sure he is totally oblivious to that fact. It hasn't always been easy, I've lost my temper, as Michael did, more than my fair share probably, but it's an experience I wouldn't trade for anything. I'm fairly confident that in the years to come, Michael will feel the same way. _________________
SPAW: Yeah Tommy, we have talked about it and I can only hope that Michael does half as well as you do. You're a good man Tommy!
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TOMMY: ^ You just proved a point I always try to make when people compliment me on things of this nature. My brother is the reason I am a 'good man' today. It wasn't any concious decision I made, but rather James' needs that forced me to become responsible. I didn't really have much of a choice in the matter. I doubt I'd be half the person I am today without him.