Conversations with Ryan

T

Today when I was giving Ryan a haircut, he was talking about what "style" he wanted his hair.  :) I responded that it's either long or short.  That started the topic of discussion on his "little" ear. (Ryan has a birth defect called microtia..."little ear") He likes his hair a little long, so that his ear is not the first thing people notice.  He told me that only 3 people noticed (at least that said anything) at R.A. camp.  One that he told me about was hilarious. --He had been in the pool and was standing in line again for the slide, wet hair plastered to his head.  A "kid" he didn't know said, "Dude, when you jumped in the pool, your ear folded up." Later the same "kid" asked if it did that often.  Ryan responded, "Pretty much."  We were talking about how embarrassed the boy would have been if he'd known it was a birth defect. I thought he showed great maturity by just playing along.  He says it doesn't bother him when kids ask about his ear.  He just says, "I was born with a little ear."  When we talk about the surgery he could have to make it "big" he says it's convenient to have one little ear sometimes.  He had no problem going to sleep at camp even when all the boys were talking.  He just laid his head with his big ear on the pillow.  Problem solved. ;)