"I'm not going!"

I have heard that for most of Phil’s 33 years. “Phil, we have tickets to the Paramount to see River Dance. You’ll love it!”

“I’m not going.”

“Yes you are.”

“No I’m not.”

“You will go and that is final.”

He goes and, of course, he loves it. He can’t keep his feet still nor stifle laughter of pure pleasure and delight. When the show came to an end Phil jumped to his feet, clapping harder and louder than anyone I’ve ever heard. He enjoyed the fact that he was responsible for the standing ovation.

Yesterday I needed to pick up some items at Safeway. “Phil, I’m going to the store and you’re going with me (he had already done a number of things around the house plus watched two hours of TV).”

“I’m not going.”

“Yes you are.”

“No I’m not.”

“I know your strategy” I tell him “you want to watch TV all by yourself (Clark was going somewhere with Paul).” He laughs.

“I’m not going.”

“You are going so get your shoes on.”

He finally does and we leave for an hour of mostly fun. He is energetic, happy and helpful and occasionally over the top in his exuberance. It was senior citizen day so cookies and coffee were set out. I thought Phil was helping himself to only a cookie or two but he continued to reach into his bottomless coat pocket for more cookies as we shopped. In the car going home he reached in again and got out a cookie for me and another one for him.

Later that night while I was brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed Phil came in and said "That was fun--going to Safeway with you."