- Joined
- Feb 17, 2020
- Messages
- 1,841
- Reaction score
- 195
- Gender
- Undisclosed
- Political Leaning
- Undisclosed
Today I took my son to meet his best friend in the park. He started getting pouty because he's way more comfortable playing video games than IRL. I tried enticing him with a soccer ball, but it wasn't working.
This other little boy wanted to play with the soccer ball. He tried to get all of us to come over to play a game, but my son wasn't biting. Still, my son started doing things with his friend so I kept an eye on the little kid playing with our ball. He soon found his dad. The little kids dad hadn't noticed me and started teaching his son how to play. I watched the dude a bit. He was good at teaching his son moves and building confidence.
Eventually I said hi, got the ball back, but by then my son started to get negative again. He wanted me to be the tickle monster. The little kid then wanted in on the game. His mom gave him the okay and it evolved into a game of flash tag, me as IT vs all the kids.
I chased them all around a bit. The dad saw me getting a bit bored, and subbed in. He was way more into it, running all around the playground chasing kids.
This was where it started to get weird. My son's friends mom got skeeved out by the dude, and how he wasn't wearing a mask. She pulled my son's friend out of the game. I passed the message to the dad. He grabbed his mask and put it on, but took it off soon after.
My kid had peeled off with his friend. The other dad was still playing tag with his kids and the other kids. I wasn't paying much attention - keeping them on the tire swing, fending off requests for my phone, and trying to eat a bagel and catch up with other parents.
Then behind me, there was a dad FIGHT!
The dude with the cute little kid was rolling on the ground with another dad! They seperated but the other dad was out on the ground with a bloody nose!
I checked in on the dad I'd made friends with - now the fleeing victor of the fight. They were getting their stuff together and getting ready to bounce.
He said the other dad grabbed his dreadlocks while he was running, tried to take him to the ground, so he defended himself. But now there was a knocked out white dad in the middle of the playground, a bunch of white moms calling 911, and this Black dad was not waiting around to see if the cops believed him.
He told me he'd be ok, he was a fed (?!?).
So anyways. He bounced, we bounced, and we felt super awkward and strange. Afterwards, we realized no one in that family was wearing masks - not the mom, the kids, the dad.
I found myself wondering - had I just made friends with the one Black cop Trump supporter in the playground today?
All because I can't say no to a little 5 year old boy who wants to play soccer?
This other little boy wanted to play with the soccer ball. He tried to get all of us to come over to play a game, but my son wasn't biting. Still, my son started doing things with his friend so I kept an eye on the little kid playing with our ball. He soon found his dad. The little kids dad hadn't noticed me and started teaching his son how to play. I watched the dude a bit. He was good at teaching his son moves and building confidence.
Eventually I said hi, got the ball back, but by then my son started to get negative again. He wanted me to be the tickle monster. The little kid then wanted in on the game. His mom gave him the okay and it evolved into a game of flash tag, me as IT vs all the kids.
I chased them all around a bit. The dad saw me getting a bit bored, and subbed in. He was way more into it, running all around the playground chasing kids.
This was where it started to get weird. My son's friends mom got skeeved out by the dude, and how he wasn't wearing a mask. She pulled my son's friend out of the game. I passed the message to the dad. He grabbed his mask and put it on, but took it off soon after.
My kid had peeled off with his friend. The other dad was still playing tag with his kids and the other kids. I wasn't paying much attention - keeping them on the tire swing, fending off requests for my phone, and trying to eat a bagel and catch up with other parents.
Then behind me, there was a dad FIGHT!
The dude with the cute little kid was rolling on the ground with another dad! They seperated but the other dad was out on the ground with a bloody nose!
I checked in on the dad I'd made friends with - now the fleeing victor of the fight. They were getting their stuff together and getting ready to bounce.
He said the other dad grabbed his dreadlocks while he was running, tried to take him to the ground, so he defended himself. But now there was a knocked out white dad in the middle of the playground, a bunch of white moms calling 911, and this Black dad was not waiting around to see if the cops believed him.
He told me he'd be ok, he was a fed (?!?).
So anyways. He bounced, we bounced, and we felt super awkward and strange. Afterwards, we realized no one in that family was wearing masks - not the mom, the kids, the dad.
I found myself wondering - had I just made friends with the one Black cop Trump supporter in the playground today?
All because I can't say no to a little 5 year old boy who wants to play soccer?