Back to Blowhard Trail

I had an idea back in May that I shared with the Elders Quorum Presidency that I called Tuesday Night Hikes.  That should be fairly self explanatory.  They liked the idea and then asked that I head it up.  I was happy to do it but had conflicts for the first couple of weeks then hurt my foot in Havasupai and waited a few weeks for the foot to heal.  It has done so.  This week was the first Tuesday Night Hikes event and it ended up being myself and a new brother in the ward named Patrick.  We went up the canyon and hit the Blowhard Trail. I last hiked that a year ago or so with the fam/extended fam.  It is a nice little hike that climbs fast and then has some pretty neat views.  I would do that hike again. 

Patrick was an interesting man.  He actually moved in across the street in Blair Maxwell's basement apartment.  He has adult children so he is older than I am.  Turns out that he has Asbergers and was very open about it.  I started to look at his mannerisms and to listen to him talk.  He shared a few stories and I saw a lot of similarities with the things Jack does.  He could talk and talk and talk about technical things but didn't really share anything regarding feelings or others feelings.  I had to laugh as I thought about Jack and the conversations we have, the thoughts he shares, the plans he makes, the mechanical analysis he likes to provide on certain subjects. 

At 10:30 or so I got a phone call from Jack.  He was upset.  He was having a tough day and was at his break down point on the visit to Alaska.  He had the same thing last year with a few weeks left.  He's just had enough and is ready to be home with me.  "I miss you dad.  I just want to be home with you.  I don't want to do all this back and forth to Alaska.  The mosquito's are bothering me.  I don't want to fly anymore, just two more airplanes to get home and then no more after that. Maybe we can stop after you pick us up and get a soda.  I will never forget you dad.  I just want to be with you dad..."  He just was going and going in tears.  I listen and listen and listen.  I shared a couple of stories trying to get his focus on something else.  Eventually he landed on Mario Kart 8 and began giving me a product review of what he had researched and suddenly his mind was off of missing home and on to the mechanics of Mario Kart.  I need to go and watch the previews or game reviews on that one.  It was a great conversation that lasted well over an hour and by the time we were done he had forgotten just how much he was missing me.  No more tears just a happy boy, well, a happy boy that won't fly.