Date: 30 Jun 2013 02:57 Title: Chapter 1
Oh, this is a heartbreaking look at a gifted, misunderstood child. He's his own person, and an enigma to those around him and maybe even to himself, if he thought it was important to think about such things. And yet the rest of the world is a mystery to him, too. But the mechanics of things ... that, he understands. And he clings to it. I think any child who grew up gifted, or an outsider, can appreciate this piece.
It did break my heart that the mechanics of his life have already sunk in. Cry = frown. Therefore, do not cry. *Hugs baby Scotty*
Loved this.
Author's Response: Thanks. He's definitely his own person, even this young.
Date: 27 May 2013 08:10 Title: Chapter 1
First thought: Scotty!
Second thought: Poor Scotty.
The poor little guy is already super advanced, beyond his classmates, able to take things apart and put them back together. He’s so there in terms of intelligence and awareness, but he still needs the one thing every child needs: love.
Here, he’s almost begging for it. He wants it, badly, he wants his mother to stay, he wants her to be proud of him but Cait is, as usual, focusing more on herself and her career than young Scotty. And Scotty knows it, in his own way, and it just hurts to read as he stands there and listen, plans on how to fix the things.
It’s not a matter of he wants to so much that he HAS to in my view. It’s how he deals with his mother’s absence, how he deals with his feelings of, I guess, abandonment, and totally is devoid of human interaction really. He just wants to fix the things.
There are more than a few reminders here of another character I know and how he too got into mischief in trying to deal with his own feelings.
I just feel bad for Scotty here and I wish he got everything he wanted from Cait, but he didn’t. In the end, Scotty never quite was able to smile truly for a long time, not until he met Corry anyway really. But even that wasn’t the same kind of smile he would have given his mom if only she was there.
Author's Response: "It’s not a matter of he wants to so much that he HAS to in my view." And you got it in one, my friend. That is exactly it. He has to. It's how he deals -- he buries his head in a machine, and he sticks with what he can understand and predict and repair. Thanks. <3
Date: 21 Oct 2012 21:02 Title: Chapter 1
Aw, that's sad. Poor little guy. No wonder he doesn't want to start relationships. I wonder where his mom goes...
Author's Response: She's a professional chef and does a lot of travel in the course of work. She could take him -- as he gets older, she does some -- but Cait is... very career-focused, more than being Mom-focused. Thanks for the comment!
Date: 12 Jul 2009 23:25 Title: Chapter 1
Ok, way eons back I told you the following:
Really brill insight to Scotty's and a child's head. That is exactly the problem when teaching children - people infer reasons to a child's actions but their motivations actually largely go unknown. That was awesome.
That still stands as the case, with this being a wonderful insight and beats us adults over the head for sometimes thinking we have a clue what's going on. Sometimes there is far more and sometimes a lot less. ;)
Gotta say though, the last line is kinda heartbreaking. Funny how children can be so intuitive in certain ways and want only to please and make mammy/daddy happy. Love the concentration of the little tike on his project and how even at this young age he working on things, pulling them apart, trying to see how they work and how they can be put back together and fixed. It's a very marked attribute in him.
Again wonderful stuff, Steff.
Author's Response: Thank you much, Miranda. I was trying to find the reason why Scotty was so painfully worried over disappointing his mother in the novel Kobayashi Maru, and this was where it lead me.
[Report This]Date: 27 May 2009 20:21 Title: Chapter 1
Man, you really reach into a head and pull things out by the roots. Even while reading this I could picture my own boy, who is sometimes very reserved around others. Makes me wonder what's going on in that head of his.
Your story was very moving and once again you have Scotty pegged(no pun intended).
Author's Response: Thanks much, Mistral!
[Report This]Date: 27 May 2009 16:30 Title: Chapter 1
A wonderful story about what goes on in one little genius' head. This is the tale that made me wonder if Scotty wasn't evidencing Aspergers or a form of high-functioning autism. The fact that he's so insular, so self-contained at such a young age and utterly indifferent to the other children are also strong clues in this regard.
However, his later life would seem to indicate neither of these is the case... he's just a wierd little dude. ;-)
Well done!
Author's Response: LOL! I remember the discussion on the BBS about this. It was a very good one. And thank you much for the review!
Date: 28 Apr 2009 03:16 Title: Chapter 1
ach, you've tapped into Mummy-me and have me all parenting-like and trying to remember what to and not to do for KJ!
Nice little characterisation. I can definitely agree that Scotty would be one of those pull everything apart kids :D
Thanks for writing.
Nutty
(prisoner of Ork)
Author's Response: LOL! You're way ahead of Cait Scott. She was never really suited for motherhood, at all.
[Report This]Date: 15 Feb 2009 22:58 Title: Chapter 1
I have always adored this piece. It never ceases to break my heart.
Author's Response: Thank you! I don't think I'd ever meant to write it, but I did.