NicholasG has been asking me to let him ride his bike to school alone. For one, in order to get to his school, he has to ride up this big ass hill to get there. I see people struggle doing that hill that are my age or older. So that's a no! Then he has to cross about 7 street lights and 3 neighborhoods to get there. Not gonna happen. One of the main reason's I will never allow it is because he isn't street smart. He is a timid little boy and he literally will talk and leave with strangers. My kid is the kid that would leave with a man or woman at the park that offers him candy or to see a new puppy! See, when I was growing up, we grew up in the streets. With all the neighbor kids. We would ride our bikes up and down the block. And we all stayed out until we all got called in for dinner. We used to walk 2, 3 miles to school. We used to meet our friends early in the morning and walk together. Sometimes by myself. In JR High, I would walk to Murry's house then we would pick up Ceci and walk together. Rain or shine! We never got rides. In HS, I either took the city bus or I would get a ride from a sibling or very rarely my mom. We were always in the streets. Paying $1 for the Montebello bus to take us to the mall and hanging out at AMC theatres. We were never home and we always had a posse with us. Things are just not like that anymore. Reality.
The topic of him riding his bike to school has recently came up more often. I showed my son 2 kick ass movies. The Sandlot and My Girl. What do they show in those movies? Every single thing we did as a kids. Riding bikes, staying out late, causing trouble. Looking like a bunch of huerfanos with dirt all up on our faces. So he asked "why don't kids do that anymore"? And I had to tell him that the world has gone to shit and we can't trust our own neighbors. I had to tell him that kids are getting kidnapped, raped, beaten, bullied at an alarming rate cause the world is full of crazy fucks. I had to tell him that people suck and he can't trust just anyone. But he doesn't get it! He thinks everyone is good! A few weeks ago I had a cousin come into town. He hung out with her while I was at work. They were at the park watching a tournament and in seconds NicholasG disappeared. She and her husband scrambled to look for him and he was on the basketball court talking to a man. No one else around. The man said he was just teaching him how to play. Can you imagine what could have happened if she found him a minute late? And when I talked to him about it, he just looked totally normal and said "he was nice mom. He was going to teach me". What the actual fuck? This kid has no sense of fear of getting kidnapped or hurt. He has no Stranger Danger in him. How freaking scary is that? I am beyond paranoid even when we go to a store cause he walks away FAST! I scream for him quick! But I can't be holding his hand like a little baby anymore! He gives no fucks man and just takes off! He doesn't think anyone can ever hurt him. I can hear some of you now "omg control your kid....wow she has no power over him, etc..." Listen man, my kid has always been a special little human! He is his VERY OWN person. And every single kid is different! And he came outta my lady parts, so SAS! Trust me when I say I want my son to have a normal childhood like I did. He does go outside and play with the kids in our complex. But there isn't much they can do. It's a freaking apartment building! I will one day move to a super nice ass neighborhood where kids play outside and everyone is cool with each other. I want him to be outside more and making neighborhood friends. A few of my longest friendships are still going because of Eastman Ave. I wish the same for my son. I'm totally going to make it happen.
What cousin lost him? Carol?
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