on the road

[Guest guest]

Hi, All

My partner and I have an 18 year old son who has AS. He just

graduated high school and has been living at home. Yesterday he

called us from a Greyhound Bus, saying he was on the road and hadn't

wanted to tell us he was leaving because he was afraid we'd try to

talk him out of leaving. He's got a couple hundred bucks, two

changes of clothes and a contact in Chicago that he hopes to be able

to stay with for a while. This is his idea of pre-planning -

something that has never been his strong suit.

So, I'm wondering from those of you with AS - is this a typical AS

thing to do? For 2 years now he has said he wants to leave town and

start over in a strange city. He wants life to be difficult and see

what it's like to have nothing. (He does not come from wealth - we

are a lower middle class family). He's felt very aligned with the

have-nots in society and wants to live among them - feeling the

injustice in the world very heavily in his heart. He's not gotten

more than one interview when he's applied for jobs here in his home

town because he comes off very introverted, unable to speak up much

or know what to say in interviews. I don't know what he'll do when

his $200 bucks runs out - but he says that homelessness doesn't scare

him, (though it scares the hell out of his 2 moms!)

Any help would be appreciated.

Val