I was reminded of the lyrics to Snow White..
“Hi Ho! Hi Ho!…”
You undoubtedly know the rest.
Except that song is filled with happiness.
The story of David’s struggle is anything but happy.
This week, the court decided to hold him accountable.
On three separate charges, the sentence is 18 months in prison. Each sentence will run concurrently. With credit for time served in the county jail, 101 days.
He just turned 20 in July.
Almost a year in jail for one charge or another.
Let’s not forget that he has a pending trial coming in September. From when he tried to burn down an apartment building that had people with Developmental Disabilities living in it. I talked with David about the next case, and he has talked to his attorney about pleading guilty.
Accountability is something we have drilled into David. You can’t run from your problems.
The last time I talked with him, he said “Dad, keep telling my story. People need to know my truth didn’t have to happen. I did what I did, and will deal with that.”
The Brain.
See, on some level, he understands that something isn’t right with his head.
The prenatal exposure to alcohol basically removed any ability for him to use Executive Functioning to consider the ramifications of his actions.
I have tried to teach him to think before he acts, but just never got through.
In reality, the average person with Fetal Alcohol may only be half their chronological age, developmentally. With that in mind, perhaps when he is 30, he will have more insight into cause and effect.