Apparently, Rakes has inherited from me the genetic gene for OCD. After going to the library and picking out 15 different books, he wants to read the same 3 every night before bedtime.One about a bunch of dinks riding a bus, another one that details the day in the life of a mouse family that hits the beach, and the third? Jackie Robinson, a young man in Brooklyn in 1947, and his Dad who just happens to be deaf, titled "Dad, Jackie, and Me".
I can honestly say I've read this book to him AT LEAST 29 times and tonight this particular paragraph finally caught his attention.
"As Jackie stood at first base, the Giants began hooting and hollering. They called Jackie names. Horrible names."
Rakes: "Why did they call him names, Dad?"
Me: "Well, white people didn't really like black people back then, son."
Rakes: "But why, Dad?"
How in the world do you explain centuries of racism to a 4 year old? The best I could come up with was they were all a bunch of idiots and steered him to bed. But it got me to thinking, which in most cases is not a good thing.
It makes me glad that the poster over my son's bed is of a black man of Dominican heritage named Big Papi. Even better, I thought about how a dude who used to sport corn rows roams CF and how the top three players in the game are guys named Albert Pujols, David Ortiz, and Alfonso Soriano. They don't exactly conjure up images of the All-American white guy.
The bigger picture is this; no matter what your political leaning, come November there will be an African-American on the ballot for the President of the United States.
Can we collectively flip the bird to all the David Dukes everywhere?
On a side note, Ang went to pick up the boys from my Mom's house today and after about 3 minutes found Trot.
Yelling his head off.
Inside the dryer.
::sigh::
Somewhere in all of this, I've got a potential best seller.
Now, if I could just figure out how to pull it all together.....
14 comments:
how do you do this? reel me in with all that serious talk...then BOOM. you hit me with total hysterical craziness. you CANNOT make these stories up.
I just want to get to the point where we don't have to even say "white" and "black." When we can say "this guy is the best player period" or "he's the best writer" or whatever, without having to put a caveat on it.
But on the lighter side: we want to know, did Rakes shut the door on him?!!!
oh heck no. my bet is rakes taught him to yell in the dryer.
Amen, Ted, and even MORE amen, tree newt! I was worried coming into this election that having a "black man" (ooooo, scary and different!) on the ballot would hurt the Democrat's chances of taking the White House. With a woman on the GOP ballot (and a well-spoken one, at that), I'm even more afraid of what could happen in this election. I just hope people really think and vote for someone because their ideals match the candidates, whichever candidate that may be, and not because they fear a woman or a black man potentially running our country.
haha, your son... he's pretty thoughtful sometimes, huh? Between the birds and the bees talk earlier in the week and this... I'm impressed! Good answer on your part for a little boy. I hope one day when he gets older and understands the connotations of "race", he thinks it's all bs (better yet, I hope that race doesn't mean a THING when he might otherwise be old enough to understand it... but I recognize that's an overly optimistic and naive hope, so I'll take what I can get).
You neglected to mention that the Yankees beat the South Siders (I guess not so much something to be excited about), the Jays beat the Orioles (something with big implications for us)... and the Twins beat the Rays. In St. Petersburg. Let me say it again: the TWINS beat the RAYS on RAYS TURF. Sounds good, doesn't it? :)
Here's where I'll make an important admission: I called the Rays not being a fluke back in April or May (I have proof of this). I've kind of quietly rooted for them all season, thinking, this is FANTASTIC for baseball. Sure, their fans sometimes annoy me - I wonder how many of them had been to the ballpark before this year when they blew away their competition over and over again. But their games were kind of fun to watch - their pitching staff, between Kaz, Shields, and now Sonnanstine and Garza, have been phenomenal, and their outfielders can catch pretty much anything in the park, and their offense has put together big - ok, HUGE - at-bats when it counts.
Now that the Rays have a shot to go from worst-to-first, you know, if we lost the Division to them, I wouldn't really feel too upset about it. They've played SO well all season, that in all honesty I feel like they've earned the banner. Yes, I absolutely understand the implications of what happens if we DON'T take the Division - we play LAA, against whom we have an ATROCIOUS record this season, and they play someone from the AL Central (and I hope that someone is the Twins). On the other hand, we HAVE banners. We don't NEED more banners. Even the guys on the Sox are saying, we want the Division, and we're so close, but however we can get to the post season, we'll do what needs to be done to make sure we get there.
Bottom line: The Sox take the Division for the second consecutive year? Faaaaaaaaaantastic. But if the Rays take it, they will have earned it.
*Disclaimer*: Please don't disown me...
Tex, you are absolutely right; I can't make this stuff up. Him getting in the dryer has been a big fear for me for awhile. I'm just thankful Rakes didn't turn it on while he was in there.
Mattie, I agree. We've got a long way to go, but we'll get there eventually.
Sarah, first off I'd never disown you! And I agree 100%; the Rays have been a great story for the game. I didn't share your optimism, though; I thought they'd fade away by the All Star game.
Getting to the playoffs is the main thing, and even though we suck vs the Angels this year we do OWN them in the playoffs so I'm sort of hanging my hat on that stat right now.
I need to star in a Geico commercial; Life comes at you fast.
Great story today, Ted. It is truly amazing how far we've come in our lifetimes...
Thanks, Beth. It really is amazing...
Good to know my opinions are still valued here :) I actually talked to a friend about the Rays earlier in the season, and he said he was SURE they'd take a turn. I argued exactly what I argued up above: dominant starting pitching, speed in the outfield, and speed on the basepaths. They'd never had all of those things before. My friend subsequently asked me to marry him, because it was the best baseball-related argument he'd heard in a long time, haha.
Hats off to Maddon for making these boys believers and creating a fanbase for a team that has, quite frankly, never had one.
Sarah, great points. Maddon has taken a perennial loser and helped turn them into one of the best stories in sports. And while it sucks for all us Red Sox fans, it's great for the game.
It gives the Royals and the Pirates of the world hope.
Well, maybe not the Pirates...
Maddon is manager of the year. No doubt. No matter how far they go...
I have a good racism story for you. In my english class, some asian guy decided to say OUTLOUD in front of a bunch of black people that he would rather be asian then black. How he got out of that class alive is BEYOND me. Just another reason that I'm counting down the days until I can transfer out of that school.
Other than the morons at my school/dorm floor, school is going great. My classes are easier than high school and I don't truly know if that's a good thing or not. now off to get my computer fixed...
Krystle, sorry to hear school is pretty much sucking right now; I hope it'll get better for you.
Now, would somebody please tell the Jays they have nothing to play for and please stop trying so freaking hard?
It's not TOO bad but I guess it's good for it to be bad now and not in the end right? Atleast I can go home every weekend...That's a plus.
I would tell them but they would just ignore me...clearly
Oh and about the OCD. I think my school would kill you at it's finest. The bathrooms have made ME OCD now.
Don't say anything more, Krystle.
I'm breathing into a paper bag as it is.
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