Balabaristas

He graduated when I was a freshman, so it's not like I was close to him. He had a reputation for meanness.. I was never on the receiving end of that. My personal experience was just that he was arrogant and attention-seeking.

It continued even a couple of years after graduation, when he was famous enough that it shouldn't have mattered. He showed up once at a local grill where everyone used to hang out. He stood in the doorway for a few minutes, sunglasses on even though it was really dark inside. It was like he was waiting for someone to approach him, but no one was really paying attention. So he asks me and my friend for a lighter and says, I'm Kenny Wayne Shepherd. We were like, we know, we went to school together, what do you want? We weren't rude, just confused about what he was expecting from us. And he got upset that no one cared and stormed out. It was dumb and pointless.

My mom said his dad was the ugliest man she ever met (insinuating personality not just looks) and that he made her uncomfortable. It's been something like 20 years since she talked about him. If you're really curious, I'll call her tomorrow for specifics.

We went to his high school.

My mom worked with his dad.

He was an asshole. Both of them.

I worked as an assistant to a man with SMA type 0 for years. I'm in Scandinavia, where there is a lot support. For example, he had 24 hour assistance available for home and work and even holidays (he lived on his own), so he was totally independent from family. He also had a car altered so he could drive via joystick.

I'm curious what daily life is like where you are, and what outside support (if any) is available. Are you happy with your level of independence? Have you ever been interested in driving?