jump_out_of_an_airplane cr0wl ben and i arrived at exactly the same time today at the project site. he told me, "that's crazy," and i agreed, even though i was a bit amazed he earned a driver's license after four attempts, considering he's autistic. i've known him ever since he was five. i used to push him in a wheel barrow while i worked on his parents' garden. he and his sisters, rachel and madeline. i told them my bizarre stories and they drew me the vivid images they saw in their precocious heads. we did a spring clean up at his dad's eye clinic. i worked spreading organic mulch and he stared into space, holding a rake or a pitchfork like it was a prop in the play he was acting in. when he spoke of helicopters i knew he was happy. he asked me how long he should spend looking at the one parked near the hospital. i offered fifteen minutes. he said a half hour would be better. around noon i saw him walking in a wide circle all anxious and shit and i knew he was anticipating lunch. "did you bring a lunch?" i asked him. he said no so i drove him to subway. he went in because he told me he's working on becoming independent. "go get your grub," i told him. he smiled again. i love to make him smile. i sat in the blue pick up, listening to wyep and watching people go into fantastic sam's. don't color your hair. you look ridiculous. later when we returned to work i told him i jumped out of an airplane when i turned 21. he smiled again. and that's when he looks so normal. "when i turn 21," he said. "i'm going to jump out of an airplane." 100327 what's it to you? who go blather from