YouTube Rockstar

My son got an email yesterday - from YouTube!
They were writing to inform him that his video had received so many hits and positive comments that they would like him to join their AdSense campaign and begin earning money from his posts!!

Here is a link to his video.  PS3 update video  It's received almost 5,000 hits and loads of positive feedback!!

We have completely different reactions - my son and I. When he told me about the email, I was simultaneously not surprised at all (Of course they did. You're a genius with computers. Duh!) and quietly ecstatic (Yay! My son's a genius and I'm so proud of him!). To be outwardly exuberant would have cemented Jackson's never telling me about another accomplishment again. I tried to be stoic about it and it was extremely difficult. And he was brilliant in accepting my praise and adoration despite his almost compulsive resistance to any hugs or physical displays.
His modesty is virtually unshakable regarding his talent because he doesn't see it as the talent that it truly is.

My son simply does not understand why everyone doesn't have the instinctual insight into how computers work that he does. This capacity is so entirely innate in him that to be otherwise would be like asking any other person to think about what it would be like to go through life without the ability to breathe on his or her own.

I hope he pursues this. I hope he makes more videos. I know that he will - do something incredible that will leave me astounded, thoroughly impressed and incredulous as to why I'm surprised by his genius. As well, I know that whatever he does will be on his terms and will be nothing I might have expected, but something that makes complete sense because it will be of his own design - something I never would have conceived and couldn't possibly - because my brain just doesn't run on the same operating system as his. Thank God!