On one such day I was dealing with a very particular customer. This customer is not the type of person that throws around the warm fuzzies, but I sucked it up and did what I needed to do. It never seems to be enough for this one customer. I've had what I would considers some significant struggles in my life; I've had cancer and had to go through Chemo, I've been through a divorce, I deal daily with a child with Autism, so it can get hard for me to suck it up at times when someone gets this bent out of shape over lighting. But again I try to refocus my thoughts and see things from this customer's prospective and SUCK IT UP! Do my job.
It was on that same morning that my son was looking over the menu for school... "Spaghetti and meatballs! I'll eat at school." he exclaimed. Thanks goodness! One less of a hundred other things I have to do that morning.... I don't have to pack him a lunch. Easy enough. On this same morning I was borrowing my mom's car because my car had broken down the day before (like I need that in my life). Because of this, she would have no way to pick him up after school, so I was going to pick him up and take him home on my lunch hour. As we drove home and talked about his day, I asked him if he ate his lunch and he said sadly, "no, a girl took it".
Jumping to conclusions, I said, "WHAT?! What do you mean? She took it from you?"
"No" he said....
"oh so she was in line in front of you?"
"yeah"
"OH, so she took the last one?"
"yeah".
"Well, did you eat anything?"
"yeah, I had the bean burrito. I ate half of it"
"Well next time, ask the lunch lady. Maybe they were going to bring out more and you just didn't wait. Next time, just ask someone"
"ok" he said, but I could tell it still bummed him out and he wasn't listening to the solution I was offering if it happened again. So I dropped him off and told my mom to give him a snack before the therapist got there figuring he would be hungry from not being satisfied with his lunch and made my way back to work. Knowing little things could set him off, but never really knowing when or how big of an impact it will have on his mood, I called my mom after I knew the therapist would have arrived. I asked her how he was doing, she said "he's telling her about the meatballs".... "OH BOY! it's going to be one of THOSE sessions" I said. Whenever this happens I worry, but I'm at work and I have to work because people need light bulbs. But my son, what if he has a melt down and I'm not there. I want to help him and I need to work, but I can't just run out over meatballs! Still I wait. I wait and work and help customers, all along thinking and worrying about my kiddo. I take a moment to text "is he OK?"..... reply.... come on, reply..... "yes, she talked to him about it and now they're reading" WHEW! OK I fell better now. Back to light bulbs.
I get home and they are working on homework. He seems fine and had a good session. After the therapist left we had dinner and did all our nightly rituals; reading, showers, TV, snack, and brushing teeth before going to bed. Oh but wait for it.... he's sitting at the table having his snack when he says, "I'm so angry". "Why?" I asked, and he says "that girl!". Oh for crying out loud! But just like that customer with the light bulbs, when the expectation wasn't met, #fail! I mean, come on, it's just meatballs! But once again, I had to suck it up...suck it up because he is this bent out of shape over meatballs. And again I try to refocus my thoughts and see things from his prospective and SUCK IT UP! Do my job. I talked him off the ledge again, over meatballs. Because logic just doesn't cut it for him sometimes. And trying to explain to him that its not a big deal and to "get over it" doesn't really help. To him it was a big deal. His routine didn't go as planned, and we are working on flexibility, but it doesn't come easy for him.
So for now, I'll continued to help him work through the little unexpected things that can throw off his routine...and of course, I packed him meatballs the next day for lunch :)
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