Swim camp
My mom signed me up for a swimming camp, which was the first way that I wasn’t bored this summer.
I am ok at swimming.
Not great.
My band teacher coaches the swim team.
I like my band teacher, but not enough to join the swim team.
Jimmy was there.
We were in the same third, fourth, and fifth grade classes.
We were in seminar together too.
But for some reason, he didn’t talk to me at all while we were at swim camp.
He was put in a lower group than me.
He shouldn’t feel bad about that, though.
He was learning, just like I was.
I tried to say “hi!”
But he didn’t “think with his eyes,” which is what my social skills teacher taught me to do, when you want to get someone’s attention.
My swim teacher was really nice.
He was a boy.
I talked to him about video games.
Sometimes he had to work with the other students in the middle of my talking to him about video games.
I guess he was busy teaching other kids how to swim.
I passed a level 3 at the end of the week.
My brother had to repeat level 1 twice and finished level 2, even though he took swim camp one more time that I did.
I hope he doesn’t feel bad about that.
He was just doing the best he could.
They don’t let you pass a level 2 until you are ready to put your face in the water.
I learned that last summer.
aileenhower's Blog 
Aileen, I’ve been following your posts and have been both moved and enlightened by them. Thank you for sharing this inside look at your son’s life.
Janice
I love how you are using point of view in all these chapters. It is so powerful and such an important story for us all to experience.
This reads like thoughts, a list, a real true slice!
I am so enjoying these posts. the fact that your son cares so much about hopping his brother doesn’t feel bad about finishing at a lower level speaks volumes about the kind of person he is.
“Thinking with your eyes.” I’ve never heard that before. I had to think — what does that look like? So much non-verbal communication we take for granted, yet at the same time, are unaware of. Reading about your son reminds me of this TED talk on Embracing the Shake. By embracing our disabilities, we come out stronger (in some ways) than those who have no disability.
Your son has learned survival skills most don’t have to think about.
Your post brought back memories of me taking my daughter to swim lessons. It sounds like your son enjoyed them more than my daughter. Can’t wait to read the next post!
“Think with your eyes when you want to get someone’s attention.” That is both amazing and insightful. I’m sharing it in my speech classes, including my dual enrollment class. Some of those kids have a hard time w/ eye contact. I’m so inspired by your son’s wisdom.
It’s something he learned from Michelle Garcia Winner’s Social Thinking curriculum. Thanks!!
I haven’t been following your slices, so I was thrown at first. I went back to read and found out you are doing a verse novel in the voice of your son. You may think about putting that at the beginning of each slice to orient your late-to-the party readers.
I did enjoy going back and reading the adventures to this point. Very realistic and have a sincere voice. Keep writing!
Thank you for your advice. I will follow it!
The comments helped me, Aileen. You wrote such a strong voice that at first I thought it was your memory. I am in the middle of reading a graphic novel recently out titled Tomboy, & your voice reminded me of the voice in it. I’ll return to read some of your other posts. You’ve pulled me in!
“He was just doing the best he could.” Wise. It takes people years to understand that people are often doing just that.
I’m loving your posts, Aileen! They’re coming together really nicely!
I’m loving your posts, Aileen, partly because I think your son is such a sweet guy, and partly because I think he has such an insightful mom. It’s also helping me to get inside the heads of several students at our school. Thanks so much! And I love the suggestion of putting a couple of sentences of explanation at the beginning. That would probably be really helpful to people who are just starting to read your posts.
This line caught me – “Think with your eyes when you want to get someone’s attention.” A very powerful line. Especially how you used it. Your writing has a strong voice.
I like that use of words…”he didn’t think with his eyes”…