On Halloween night, CJ and I were out with his neighborhood friends, ranging from five to ten years old. In our community, the Disabilities Board has acquired quite a few condos in which persons with disabilities reside and are offered assisted living services. These people are basically self sufficient and most seem to be of sound mine, and are generally very friendly. Well, until Sunday, October 31, I haven't had a problem. So CJ and his little posse of about six kids walk up to this door. The smallest of the bunch, trying to get in front so that he is not left out, CJ rushes around to the front of the group. His plastic pumpkin hits the door. The door abruptly swings open and a middle-aged woman begins yelling at the children. "Who hit our door?" she yelled repeatedly. "Whoever hit our door needs to apologize!"
Terrified, one of the older kids whispers "he did it" as he points at CJ. "But he didn't do it on purpose," he tries to explain. Ignoring the boy, the woman is irate as she continues to yell and intimidate the kids. It was as if they were frozen and afraid to move. I rushed to the door, and I urged the woman to calm down as she continued to insist that CJ must apologize before he gets a treat. Well, I'm sorry but by this time, I was angry myself and dragged my son away as I shouted to the irrational woman that he is only three years old.
Because the other parents were lagging behind and were unaware of the situation I rallied the kids together and waited patiently at the corner until the rest of our group caught up. Meanwhile this woman has changed her tune and is persistently trying to convince me and the other kids to come and get a treat for CJ. I sternly repeated over and over again, "No maam, he's fine. He doesn't need a treat!"
In her final attempt, she says, "Come here little boy, come get your treat." To everyone's surprise, especially mine (laughing as I type), CJ screams in his loudest and most serious voice, "NO MAAM! I DON'T WANT YOUR CANDY! MY MOMMY SAID NO. I SAID NOOOO MAAM!
I was floored. I do not teach my son to be disrespectful (but he did say maam) but she had that coming. It was one of those proud moments for me where CJ stood up for himself, and he stood up for his mommy! I'm convinced, my son is a G! He's got mommy's back. Treat or not, mommy said no!
