These past two days have been pretty fantastic. Yesterday morning, Jayne had an ANC of 15. Not a bad number, considering that his number the day before was 14. However, today, his ANC is 30. His system is rebounding in leaps and, well, bounds. We are one step close to sleeping in a normal bed, maybe taking him for a walk near the suggestion of other people.
Yesterday was a big day in the function aspect of Jayne's recovery. Not that he has learned how to use the toilet or even say something other than "babahbahbabahbaha". It is, far as I can tell, his favorite word. But we have a date for Jayne's benefit concert. It will be June 11th at the lower baseball field in Show Low. This is, in large part, due to the efforts of Burt Bradford. Burt is my old boss, up until everything went sideways in our lives, and he is one of Jayne's biggest fans. He taught Jayne how to wave, he has developed a system to deal with the glares that Jayne will occasionally assume in his day to day life. Burt is one of my best friends and he really has shone through by spearheading this effort for my son. He has taken it upon himself to not only schedule the event but to cover the insurance and reach out to food trucks in the area that may be interested in feeding the masses as they rock out for my son.
Another personality behind this benefit concert, beyond Burt and Kristen, who has done a lot for the Jayne's cause, is Jesse Valencia. Despite his sometimes off-putting appearance, Jesse is a good friend and wonderful artist. His band, Gorky, will be present at the concert, presenting all of us with some tasty jams. We are still building the presence, even to the point where Cherla has offered her ability with a violin for Jayne's future. There was even a talk of a ukulele. If you have any interest in finding out more about this Show Low Woodstock, you know where to find me, if no one else. I can pass on whatever message you have.
Lastly, I would like to mention my one-time mentor, long-term friend Farrel Adams. If you're unfamiliar with the name, he is currently the principal of the high school I graduated from. I had the immense fortune to be a part of the last class he taught before going into administration. I talked with him, at length, not only about the support that Show Low High School could offer my son and my family but how we could, eventually, inject some goodwill back into the community that I grew up in. We talked about different ways that Jayne and I could give back, earn some of that charity we have received from all walks of life. I have not been shy about the fact that, while I am very interested in the financial situation of my family in this difficult set of circumstances, I intend to establish some sort of base for families and children that have to go through similar situations as us. There is no reason that any kid, of any age, has to feel unsupported through such a difficult time in their lives. I plan to expand this program to, somehow, provide opportunities for kids who aren't able to afford the fees into fitting in. That sounds like an odd way to put it, but if you can't afford to play sports, be in the band, or if you're school has decided that football is more lucrative than drama, you can't fit in because you are not given the chance to find your place. I hope, one day, to create something for the community that I upset and offended by virtue of my free tongue and different ideals. Kids need a chance to be kids in whatever they excel at.
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