Action. Consequence.

I think I may have mentioned before that I am a sucker for science fiction and other shows previewed at Comic-Con type conventions.  One problem with that aspect of my personality is that I tend to like shows that get cancelled due to low ratings.  Observe the following:

The Cape, Life, Now and Again (no, NOT starring Sela Ward; that is Once and Again), My Own Worst Enemy,  Journeyman, and Undercovers:  Do any of these ring a bell?  If yes, then yea!  If not, why did you help get these shows cancelled?  They all have great messages behind them.  One of the best life messages I have gleaned from such television shows came from Day Break.

The premise of Daybreak is that a character, played by the very talented Taye Diggs, wakes up the same morning repeatedly.  For those of you familiar with Groundhog Day, it is similar, yet very different from that movie.  Day Break is a police action drama, a mental show, one that does require deep thought.  At one point, the character is told by an enemy, "Every action has a consequence.  Action.  Consequence."  Any wound he received is still there the next time he wakes up, though any bodily harm done to others is undone.  His actions, however, on one day affect those around him the next day, even they have no recollection of having lived it already. Something he does subconsciously affects the way his girlfriend sees him the next time around.  Action, Consequence.

My family has been dealing with that over the last couple of days.  I was on the phone yesterday, dealing with the consequences of some of Nathaniel's actions.  We are having to rearrange our morning and afternoon schedules.  Action.  Consequence. 

We knew riding the regular bus to school would be a challenge to Nathaniel.  Dozens of children, loud voices, no seat belt to give him a sense of security; each of these individually was a situation that could encourage him to lose control.  However, the school authorities as well as us, his parents, mutually decided to give Nathaniel the opportunity to experience the regular bus as a manner of integrating him into the normal school system.  He did very well for three days.

We dont' know what set him off the first time, but we do know that biting his tongue was the final straw.  Thursday afternoon, he jumped out of his seat and refused to sit back down. Instead, he crawled along the floor of the bus and screamed, "Leave me alone" repeatedly in spite of the bus driver's attempts to talk him back into his seat.  Obviously, this was unacceptable.  Action.  He was written up for disorderly conduct.  Consequence.

Friday morning, he refused to get off the bus.  He thought I had forgotten his snack, which I had already sent to school with him for the week, but he did not remember.  Again, he had a fit; he screamed and yelled, and the bus driver had to call for assistance.  It took two teachers 10 minutes to get him off the bus.  Action.  The bus driver was late for the next run and had to write him up again and he and I had a lengthy discussion.  Consequence.

Friday afternoon I received both reports.  Of course I understood the driver's point of view as well as my son's.  I called the transportation department.  Once she realized I was clearly on their side regarding Nathaniel's behavior, the official positively spoke with me regarding alternatives.  We are working together to see if we can get a special bus to pick up Nathaniel, as had been done for the previous two years. 

During the interim, I will take him to school in the mornings and pick up all three children in the afternoons.  Unfortunately, Nyssa also has to live with the consequences of her brother's actions since I cannot pick up three children from three different locations during car pool times within 15 minutes of each other with an adamant time set smack dab in the middle of them for the bus.  Ironically enough, it may end up being the solution to that after school timing issue period.  For now, however, his actions on the bus had consequences.  His ride on the 350 has been cancelled, just like Day Break.

Fortunately, I have the entire 13-episode series on DVD.  Fortunately I was able to see a positive end to the original story arch although not everyone escaped unscathed.  I also saw the start of a new season's worth of plot line unfold in the last episode which I will never see resolved.

Fortunately, we will find a good solution to Nathaniel's transportation problem.  Fortunately, we have thus far been able to come through all the trials with Nathaniel's Autism.  We see new ones surfacing, but we have the opportunity to daily take part in writing aspects of the script and to watch our son's world unfold in the journey of life.  We have the ability to work with him to reinforce positive actions that will result in rewarding consequences.