My adventure with the ignorant . . .

We decided to take the kids to the Pizza Hut buffet tonight. Dustin loves it. The little ones can graze all they want. I however, had a run-in with a drunk. . . at least I hope he was.

I'm accompanying Dustin to the buffet and I asked him not to grab a plate. The stacks were all hot and I knew he would immediately drop it on the floor or start hollering. He went to grab a plate anyway and I said, "Dustin, I asked you not to touch those." A man across the buffet says quite loudly, "Damn lady! Let the kid get his own plate. I taught my kid how to do it when he was little. Damn!" I was shocked and responded with, "Sir, my son is special needs." He grumbled and moaned at me the entire time we were getting Dustin's food. As we walked back to our table I was still a little shaken. We sit, I look over and he is sitting on table over and one back.

Dustin was pretty well behaved and the little ones were darn good. It was actually a nice time. Towards the end of the meal, the man tries to get my attention and I pretend not to see him. He stands up, grabs something off the table and comes over to our table. He extends his hand and shakes me hand apologizing for what he said. I told him it was fine and that I understood that Dustin's disability is hidden. He proceeds to throw money at me. I told him he was being ridiculous and he very loudly begged me to take it to show me that he was "Sorry deep down in his heart". The entire time he is getting louder and louder and continued to lean over the table, beating on his chest over his heart. I'm thinking, "Oh mercy! Robert get back here now!" He finally leaves. Not without getting into a little screaming patch with his wife saying, "I can't leave the tip, I just gave that lady my last 4 dollars. Damn woman."

After all this, Dustin is like, "Mom give me my money. It's mine. He gave it to you because I'm special needs!" I could've climbed under the table. I'm totally embarrassed. I want to leave. Robert comes back and has no clue what has just passed. Finally when we leave it says, honey you are leaving money on the table. Usually we just put the tip on the debit card with the bill. Dustin once again starts hollering, "It's mine because I'm special needs." For crying out loud.

Last Friday night the kid across the street was home with some friends. He is about 12 or 13 and lives with his sister and her boyfriend. He starts yelling out the window at us playing in the front yard. He is calling Dustin a "retard". Dustin was instantly upset and began crying which made the kid holler other ugly and hateful things. I lost it. I was so angry. I threatened to haul my "fat ass" as he called it, up those stairs and he could call me names to my face. He stopped. Funny part is, he rides the "short bus" to another school.

I hope this in not an indication of things we will have to deal with as the gap between Dustin's actual age and his developmental age grows farther and farther apart. I know it is, but I hate it for him.