Haley is different.

Haley is different from other twelve year olds you may know.  Here are five differences:

1.  She doesn’t text.

She has no need or desire for a cell phone. Haley has never been social. She greets animals the way most people greet friends. She doesn’t really have friends. She also won’t talk on the phone. She will listen and smile and nod her head, but she won’t talk.

2.  She doesn’t need the latest gadget.

Haley is happy with the computer. She taught herself how to use the mouse a long time ago. I remember back when we first exposed her to the computer. She used to sit on my lap and I would play computer games that were designed for young kids and she would watch. One we had was Jumpstart Toddler. She was entertained, but she didn’t seem interested in playing it herself. Then Grandma C gave her a Lion King Animated Storybook one year for Christmas and that was all the motivation she needed. She figured out the mouse all by herself one day and pretty soon she could play every game we had. She even goes on the internet now. She especially likes to go onto YouTube.

3.  She doesn’t use slang.

Some twelve year olds drive their teachers and parents to distraction with the latest slang. Haley doesn’t speak a lot so the words she uses are few and they are to the point. Haley talks about her cat Shadow, about the shows she watches, about school and about trains. She does use the words “Awesome!” and “Cool.” but I take full responsibility for that, she learned them from me. At least she uses them appropriately.

4.  She doesn’t curse.

The only words that would resemble curse words are purely accidental. Some come from the videos she watches. She doesn’t realize what she is saying though. When she is really mad she has been known to say “YOU!” and we can only guess what she means by that.

5.  She loves school.

She wouldn’t miss school for the world and she rarely does. I feel so bad when she is actually sick and I tell her she has to stay home, she cries big crocodile tears, it just breaks my heart. Luckily Haley has been sick only a very few times in her life. She looks so forward to school that soon after she comes home she says “School tomorrow?” And I tell her “Yes, you have school tomorrow.” And she says “Yay, School!” On Fridays when she asks me this question I say “No, tomorrow is Saturday. Tomorrow is a stay home day.” She says “Stay home tomorrow. School Monday?” “Yes, school on Monday.” (at least until summer vacation…)