Jonathan's Story
Viewing comments for Chapter 14 "An institution? Yes or no?"Our fostering journey with a severely disabled boy
28 total reviews
Comment from Rachelle Allen
I feel it, too!! Is is that "when it seems too good to be true" thing we always hear about? I think of myself as naturally suspicious, and I WANTED to believe that I was just engaging in that, but then when you wrote about your feeling of foreboding, I knew my Wary Meter was intact.
Oy. Thank G-d so MUCH that you are the sentinel for his health-and-well-being in this life, Wendy!!
One tiny spag, BUT it might be a "continental" one. Here in the US, the past tense of 'to bus' is "bused." Using two s'es makes it the past tense of the word 'buss,' which is 'to kiss.' So, in your sentence that begins "They would therefore be devolving into Group Homes..." later on, it should read "all clients would be BUSED..."
Great chapter, and GREAT cliffhanger!!
xoxox
reply by the author on 19-Feb-2024
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I feel it, too!! Is is that "when it seems too good to be true" thing we always hear about? I think of myself as naturally suspicious, and I WANTED to believe that I was just engaging in that, but then when you wrote about your feeling of foreboding, I knew my Wary Meter was intact.
Oy. Thank G-d so MUCH that you are the sentinel for his health-and-well-being in this life, Wendy!!
One tiny spag, BUT it might be a "continental" one. Here in the US, the past tense of 'to bus' is "bused." Using two s'es makes it the past tense of the word 'buss,' which is 'to kiss.' So, in your sentence that begins "They would therefore be devolving into Group Homes..." later on, it should read "all clients would be BUSED..."
Great chapter, and GREAT cliffhanger!!
xoxox
Comment Written 19-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 19-Feb-2024
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Yes, that is the Australian spelling, following the English convention of doubling the final consonant when conjugating a verb witha short vowel sound. But now ... I haven't heard the slang "to buss" for "to kiss", maybe because we Aussies don't use it, or maybe because I am too old. A lot of my education re such terms was offered by my year 8 students, but I don't have them any more!! I wanted my writing to be consistently Australian, what we say and how we say it, but there is a bit of a dilemma here for an international reading audience. I might change the expression to something slightly different. Thank you so very much for reviewing, and especially for the six stars. Always appreciated.
Wendy
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Yes, "bussing" is an antiquated term - as in, it is NEVER used these days. But I knew of it because of having spelled "busing" the way you did in this piece once in school and got my grade marked down as a result.
Comment from T B Botts
Good grief Wendy,
this place sounds ideal. Why does even the best of places come with something that is unacceptable? I'm almost afraid to find out what the issue is. I would think it would be hard to find a better spot than this one. I'm curious about the feeling at your home with your husband and kids without Jonathon around. It must have been quite and adjustment. Did they come with you to visit him? Well done gal.
Have a blessed evening.
Tom
reply by the author on 19-Feb-2024
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Good grief Wendy,
this place sounds ideal. Why does even the best of places come with something that is unacceptable? I'm almost afraid to find out what the issue is. I would think it would be hard to find a better spot than this one. I'm curious about the feeling at your home with your husband and kids without Jonathon around. It must have been quite and adjustment. Did they come with you to visit him? Well done gal.
Have a blessed evening.
Tom
Comment Written 19-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 19-Feb-2024
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Hi Tom,
Some of our feelings are touched on in the next chapter. In general he came home to our place for regular weekend visits, so everybody could be with him again. Thank you very much for reviewing. I'm afraid some of what is to come is not pleasant reading.
Wendy
Comment from patcelaw
I am so glad that Jonathan got it placed to live that was suitable for him, and even though he was gonna have to move to another place when the institution was closed down, he still had a good place as to why you had for boating about the placement I think that was part of you, because you realized that he was no longer going to be with you. I am enjoying the story that you were writing about Jonathan. Patricia .
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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I am so glad that Jonathan got it placed to live that was suitable for him, and even though he was gonna have to move to another place when the institution was closed down, he still had a good place as to why you had for boating about the placement I think that was part of you, because you realized that he was no longer going to be with you. I am enjoying the story that you were writing about Jonathan. Patricia .
Comment Written 18-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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Thank you very much Patricia. I am glad you are enjoying the story and are continuing to follow on. Much appreciated.
Wendy
Comment from Debbie D'Arcy
I'm not surprised you ended on that question because you cleverly incorporated that sensation throughout your chapter. Anything determined by "the government of the day" immediately gets me worried. I've worked in one of those places lauded by local government as being a halfway house between the institution and the family home. And they don't work and local government bods swan in and swan out again without once bothering to ask staff how things are going! Bless Jonathan. He's so well adjusted due to all your hard work, I expect he imagined his future was set to continue in this light. As ever an engrossing read, Wendy. Thank you for sharing. Debbie
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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I'm not surprised you ended on that question because you cleverly incorporated that sensation throughout your chapter. Anything determined by "the government of the day" immediately gets me worried. I've worked in one of those places lauded by local government as being a halfway house between the institution and the family home. And they don't work and local government bods swan in and swan out again without once bothering to ask staff how things are going! Bless Jonathan. He's so well adjusted due to all your hard work, I expect he imagined his future was set to continue in this light. As ever an engrossing read, Wendy. Thank you for sharing. Debbie
Comment Written 18-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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You understand perfectly, and you are spot on. And what if they don't even swan in and out? You won't believe ... never mind, you probably woulld!!! Many thanks for your very astute review, and for the extra special sixth star. Greatly appreciated.
Wendy
Comment from Verna Cole Mitchell
I enjoy continuing to follow Jonathan's story seen from your perspective. It seemed too good to be true, so I, too, have a sense of foreboding. I'm not impressed with the social services via governmental oversight decisions.
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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I enjoy continuing to follow Jonathan's story seen from your perspective. It seemed too good to be true, so I, too, have a sense of foreboding. I'm not impressed with the social services via governmental oversight decisions.
Comment Written 18-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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Thank you very much Verna. I am very appreciative that you are still enjoying the story.
Wendy
Comment from GWHARGIS
I'm guessing the feeling of foreboding is because most of the things you, Jonathan and Sheryl had been through were a proverbial Sh!%show. Nothing has panned out as promised. This still continues to keep me on the edge of my seat. Great chronicling. Gretchen
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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I'm guessing the feeling of foreboding is because most of the things you, Jonathan and Sheryl had been through were a proverbial Sh!%show. Nothing has panned out as promised. This still continues to keep me on the edge of my seat. Great chronicling. Gretchen
Comment Written 18-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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Exactly so! But perhaps it was just that I was too emotionally tied up to undo the apron strings? We'll see, in due course.
Thank you for a super review.
Wendy
Comment from barbara.wilkey
That wee small voice is telling you something isn't right. It almost seems too good to be true. When that's the case, it usually is. I'm on pins and needles waiting for your next post.
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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That wee small voice is telling you something isn't right. It almost seems too good to be true. When that's the case, it usually is. I'm on pins and needles waiting for your next post.
Comment Written 18-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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Thank you Barbara. You are right about trusting our instincts. Perhaps in this case I just couldn't let go ....?
Wendy
Comment from Paul McFarland
The way you have ended this piece, I'm guessing that there are going to be problems. From how you have described this place, it sounds too good to be true.
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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The way you have ended this piece, I'm guessing that there are going to be problems. From how you have described this place, it sounds too good to be true.
Comment Written 18-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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Thank you Paul. Perhaps it was just that I "couldn't let go ...".
You'll soon see. Thank you for continuing to read and review his story - I greatly appreciate your support.
Wendy
Comment from Tom Horonzy
Why?
I expect you will tell us in due time.
Awating your next story to drop.
Always amazed at what you write, and more so in what you do.
aksnuabjnguioybfsdojmaoifnaudfamopmga
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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Why?
I expect you will tell us in due time.
Awating your next story to drop.
Always amazed at what you write, and more so in what you do.
aksnuabjnguioybfsdojmaoifnaudfamopmga
Comment Written 18-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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Thank you for your kind review Tom, including the mystery puzzle at the end which my poor brain is trying to decode. (Lol. No it isn't!)
Yes, the story will unfold in due course. Thank you for your patience! Let's see if you can predict ...
Wendy
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I said
What I
Needed
To
Say
And had no more
Sane characters to
Meet the minimum requirement so I garbled
The remaining letters
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Yes, I know ... it really is a silly minimum requirement. Trying to write 150 characters about a "poem" with a total of eight syllables is even harder. Keep garbling, I don't mind at all.
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:-))
Comment from Julie Lau
It seems to me that there must be weird people in government to make the weird decisions that they do. I wonder, where will all these wonderful, loving house parents come from? Just how caring will some of them be?: Huge worry. Your final sentence sets an ominous tone which justifies my earlier doubts. And why mess with something which was obviously working well?
Congrats on your dealing with this little-dealt with topic.
Julie
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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It seems to me that there must be weird people in government to make the weird decisions that they do. I wonder, where will all these wonderful, loving house parents come from? Just how caring will some of them be?: Huge worry. Your final sentence sets an ominous tone which justifies my earlier doubts. And why mess with something which was obviously working well?
Congrats on your dealing with this little-dealt with topic.
Julie
Comment Written 18-Feb-2024
reply by the author on 18-Feb-2024
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The government is trying to be "noble" in not having people relegated to institutions, whether or not they are working well. It was the catch-cry of the time. Mentally ill people were also de-institutonalised, and put into "homes", but many ended up on the street, homeless, as there were insufficient places, and others just could not manage. Thank you so much for your insightful review. Always appreciated.
Wendy