July 20, 2026

While I was working today, I came across four kids playing soccer against a fence. I guest with the World Cup in the news, the spirit of futbol walks these United States. One kid was in goal between two poles, a white boy, a brown boy, and a black boy ran after the ball as it bounce around in the yellowing grass. The goalie punted the ball and black boy took off after the ball. He must of been young maybe 6 years old. Short little thing. He got the ball and turned around, and the tall brown boy had already bodied him off the ball. “Come on, let him get the ball. You already scored.” Yelled the white boy. he seemed a little older. Seemingly the brown boy played well. And the black boy had only just got the spirit of the game. He responded, “So! ain’t no body taking it easy, on no crybaby.” As he dribbled back with the ball. The little black boy was walking but when he heard this he furled his brown and crossed his arms. I turned away. He knew not that this would be the first of many gripes with the world and I couldn’t relive the pain, knowing nobody was going to make it easy for him. Outside of his family, there are few and far between that are going to help, or teach you when you don’t know. 

I pray when he’s my age, things are little easier. The world is a little nicer, the air is cleaner. At his age, I didn’t have a clue about the real world. I didn’t know who I was. I didn’t know what I was. I just was. The veil hadn’t fallen over my face, and even when it did, I wouldn’t understand what had happened. But I knew, something was different.