On August 22nd, I met Jonah and the van of other students and staff from Anderson at the Duchess County Fair for Sensory Awareness Day – and, just like last year, Jonah and I walked around by ourselves for the first couple hours.
He didn’t want to go many of the rides, though he expressed interest in the merry-go-round. We were the only two people on the thing, so I easily found horses next to one another and showed him how to climb up. As soon as the ride started and the horses moved up and down, however, he tried to get off, one leg hooked over his horse and the other trying to find footing. I slid off my own horse and helped him down, the two of us just standing there between our horses for the rest of the ride. Needless to say, I did not encourage him to get on anything else.
Last year he did well on the bumper cars, mostly because I put him in a car beside me and drove us both around, but this year I didn’t see that ride. So we walked. We walked and we walked and we walked. I let Boo decide where to go, and where he wanted to go was everywhere, my phone in his hand with music playing. When I saw 2 golden retrievers with service vests on, I asked the handler if Jonah could meet the dogs. “Of course,” she answered, and led the dogs closer, but Boo put his hands up in a “nope” gesture and backed away. He’s never been comfortable around dogs, though to the best of my knowledge there’s no logical reason for this. Maybe their movements are too unpredictable.
You know whose movements aren’t too predictable? That’s right…cows.
And even after the great cow incident of 2023 when Jonah lay down on a resting cow and we were very sternly admonished, I led him over to the livestock area. I was a strange mixture of curious and afraid, but this year I at least asked the staff if he could touch a cow.
They said yes, briefly conferred amongst themselves, and led us over to a giant cow named Adeline. Unsurprisingly, Boo knelt down, reached out to pet the cow, and then started climbing on top of her. I was ready this year, though, so quickly guided him back and off poor Adeline.
After we walked around the fair some more, I decided we best meet up (and stay) with the Anderson group. It was nearing lunchtime anyway, and my middle-aged legs were getting tired from the 10,000+ steps they’d already taken. When I texted the group, they were headed to the stables to see the animals – so Jonah got another look at the cows after all.
By now there were other kids hanging out with the cattle. One kid was actually sitting right in the pen with a cow, leaning against her as he played on his cell phone. Seeing this made me feel a little better about letting Jonah approach the cows again. This time, he knelt between two cows and placed a palm on each one as if participating in some bovine benediction. I’m pretty sure he’d have stayed with those cows all afternoon if I let him.
Instead we mooooved on, got some lunch (Boo wanted hot dogs and vanilla ice cream) and I walked with them all back to the Anderson van, where the kids piled in for the ride back to campus. God bless the direct support professionals who managed it all, for I was as tired as I’ve ever been and I barely lifted a finger.
I’m looking forward to visiting Boo this Sunday, where a friend may join me. Lately I’ve invited people to come along and walk the campus with us; Jonah seems to enjoy the bonus visitors. Plus it’s fun to drive to Woodstock after seeing Boo – to get a bite to eat, go in the shops, & check out the hippie scene. I always feel I belong there; they are my peeps and it’s a fun place to be, especially after all the summer tourists depart.
Happy Autumn to you all – may the season bring sunny days, festive fun, and happy cows!
The Never Normal 