Things I didn't picture: part 1 of 2,000,013

Obviously I don't have a picture for this. But picture if you will my son in the pool, struggling to get over his fear of putting his face in the water and one of the instructor's asks how much he's in pools. Not much recently I explain (guiltily of course) because he's so sensitive to the water temparture (something the instructor has already acknowledged to be an issue at outdoor pools) and then he says, "He's a bit spoiled isn't he?" At which point I spluttered more than my baby in the pool. My bearded 26 year old baby. Who's CP makes his muscles spasm in any thing below about 83 degrees but which the experts telling us to get him swimming lessons forgot to mention (doesn't everybody know that?) until after I'd forced him to try again and again to swim in our chilly neighborhood pool years ago. Who we make clean the kitchen and take Grandma lunch and manage his own meds and babysit his little brother and generally try to make get moving on with life and...(still spluttering). And this same man is within seconds telling me we should try to get him exercising more (telling me... not my son) and suggesting he work on bending his ankles independently (like multple physiatrists, therapists, orthopeds, and God knows us too, didn't try for 20 some years) and asking me (really) if he used to walk without the crutches (yeah, but we forgot to keep up with his exercise and pretty much just spoiled him with the crutches). Oh, and when I mentioned the physiatrist (an MD specialist in physical medicine) thought I said podiatrist and tried to point out a podiatrist wouldn't be much help. So here's the part I didn't picture. That 26 years after having my first baby I would still be feeling as defensive as any new mother and total stragers would feel as free with the advice as they did when I actually had a baby. I mean I know alot of moms whose 26 year olds, frankly, may be or have been or at least acted a little spoiled -and as far as I know nobody tells them so. Somehow I thought when I mentioned the young man in question has his Associates degree it would be clear the mommy talk should end but no... I'm going to get a card printed that says, "Talk to him, I'm just the driver." I'll think I'll try it for the 6 year old too. I'll let you know how that works at soccer.