“The Green Box” Adventure.
( In Thomas’s words really mine. Calling it the green box due to Trademark not sure I am educating you on what is in the box.)
“My mom tells the story of the day she realized I was a little odd. She found out that day that I really liked “The Green” Dishwasher detergent boxs. I was only three and the shopping carts were flat and came right up to the big, black, wide flat platform where you put your groceries to pay for them. Well I saw the “The Green” box leave the shopping cart and I jumped into action. Before anyone knew what was happening, I had jumped out of the cart, past the cashier and was running down that big flat black belt to retrieve my box. I only like the green ones. My mom laughed and laughed, but the cashier was really angry. I didn’t look like I had anything wrong with me so she just thought mom was a bad parent. Little did she know how the box was going to play out in my life later.
“The Green” box however was used over the years to open many doors in my mind. I had taken an interest in something. I would do anything for one of those boxes (only the green ones) so I learned to cooperate, go to the bathroom and learn fun things at school that would help me later all for the love of my Green box.
School could use the box to get me to do things I didn’t like to do. The teacher could tell me I had to work at various tasks and then I could hold the box for so many minutes. At home Mom used it to teach me sign language and later I was able to transfer the signs into words which helped me learn to communicate at least my needs and wants to people. I am now 39 and no longer need or want the box.
Of course, when I was little, I was not as pliable or affable as I am now. If I had a meltdown in a store due to the noise level, the smells, or the people Mom would have to wrap herself around me, wrestle me to the floor and hold on for dear life. I would eventually calm down and then we could exit the store. If mom let me “win” and leave the store on my terms there would have been no more trips to the store. I couldn’t help it when I was little it was like a train running through my head and Icouldn’t sort the sounds out like I can today. Today someone would have called DHS on mom, but back 30 years ago no one seemed to care. I am not sure things have changed for the better. As I got older and bigger I would go to the store and I would just refuse to get out of the car, even if Mom promised to purchase “A Green” Box. I would just sit there in the back seat and laugh and smile and close the car door. There were days when the chaos of going places was just beyond my comfort zone. However, bribery did work great most of the
The Journey with Thomas 