How do you like me now?How do you like me now?Now that I'm on my wayDo you still think I'm crazy standing here today?I couldn't make you love me but I always dreamed about livin' in your radioHow do you like me now?
I find that song heartbreaking. Ron believed his whole life he had a close, loving, family, and more than once warned me he would dump me if they disapproved. So, to me, for a very long time, I sought their approval, didn't disagree, etc
Then he got run over. His mother didn't want lifesaving surgery and Ron, the idiot, hadn't married me so I had no say. I had to beg his father to sign the consent form, which he did.
No one knew how Ron would turn out after his head injury and they started planning to legally abandon him so he would become a ward of the state. I objected. Vehemently. I asked for training and said I'd take care of him to anyone who'd listen.
Ultimately,Ron himself told his Dad he wanted to go home with me. So Ron's Dad signed a form giving me custody.
When Ron came back to himself I had a lot to say about his "family", none of it nice. He didn't believe me at first but then began recalling conversations he had overheard and realized I was right.
And he made an amazing recovery for many years. He ran the business, used spreadsheets, did bank reconciliations,set up my voicemail, things like that. He set up a really cute greeting on my voicemail with Frosty meowing. We bought a house, got a mortgage, etc He set up all the paratransit trips.
He did pretty well physically for a while too even mowing the yard. The whole time he kept reaching out to them, calling, dropping by his parents house (they told us to leave and not come back), etc. They stopped taking his calls; he got me a phone and called them, they picked up, realized it was him, and hung up. It broke his heart.
About this time the song came out:
How do you like me now?How do you like me now?Now that I'm on my wayDo you still think I'm crazy standing here today?I couldn't make you love me but I always dreamed about livin' in your radioHow do you like me now?
He adopted it as his anthem for his family, shouting the lyrics while drunk and sobbing. It was horrible.
And they play the song regularly at my store, every time I remember Ron singing along as he cried. I wish they would take it off the playlist.
No comments:
Post a Comment