A Mother's Intuition...

Emergency training is tough at times for Aspies...if everything doesn't go as planned then what do you do? Case in point...my son went to a Pokemon pre-release tournament yesterday. He counted down the days to the big event...making sure he'd have funding available, made sure he had all his equipment, and made sure all the items on his hygiene list were done, so he would be able to go. The only thing he didn't do was charge his cell phone. We dropped him off at noon and went about our way. About 5:00 I thought he should perhaps be done, and started trying to call/text him. Nothing...just the voice mail. I took the big girl to the mall and ran a few errands. 7:00 still nothing...about 7:30 I thought I'd better go to the book store to read, but then I thought gee...even if he's having a great time...I'm sure he's starving...I better go there, check on him, and offer to get him some dinner. (Brennan will often lose track of time and play so long that he comes home with pounding headaches from not eating.) As I pulled up to the comic store, I saw him standing outside and I saw the store lights were off. "Mom!", he said with desperation, "Where have you been? I've been waiting two hours!" *SIGH "Honey, why didn't you call me? I tried to call you and didn't get an answer." "I didn't charge my phone mom, it was dead and the phone at the store wasn't working." "I knew my address Mom, but no body knew where I lived so no one took me." (Insert grateful sigh of relief here.) So...I patiently went over with Brennan what to do if you are stranded... Brennan, was there anyone there that you knew? Yes? Did you ask to borrow their phone for 1 minute to call me? You didn't? You should have....Did you have any money? You did? Then you need to use a pay phone to call me if you can't borrow anyone's phone. Brennan? You never ever ask strangers for rides home, never. You only find a way to call Mom. Let's look around here and see the different places you could have gone to use a phone....here, here, and here. OK? Now...repeat back to me what I just said. OK, good. What is my phone #? What is Dad's phone #? OK...you need to remember these things Brennan they're very important, ok? To which he replied, "I love you Mom, can you get me something to eat?" Hopefully a bit of that sank in and that won't happen again. He was overall very excited because people were 'nice' to him...(that's his reliable way to judge a good day or bad day...) he got a new deck, four packs and traded for some terrific cards...at least that's what he tells me. For me it was a good day because he came home with his head held high and not crushed by anyone else's personal attacks. For his sake...I hope it was a learning day as well.