Waiting for Joseph Mason

Joseph Mason has lived a difficult life. Only he knows just how difficult it has been. When he was four years old, his shoes and socks never felt quite right. When he was five, he could only walk into his kindergarten by one special door. When he was six, he had to erase everything he wrote, even though his letters and numbers were as neat as if they had been typed. When he was seven, he could not write at all. When he was twelve, he was not supposed to know numbers. When he was sixteen, he made himself walk the streets picking up trash to keep the streets clean. When he was seventeen, he could only eat bread. When he was eighteen, he could only eat bread if he had walked to the store to buy it. When he was twenty-five, he thought others were giving him secret messages. When he was twenty-six, he thought he was someone else. Medication helped Joe, but he did not want to take it. When he was twenty-seven, Joe left home to find his way.