sTmykal

Friday, I tackled the mass of weeds that had now become small trees that lined the spot next to my garage drive way and my neighbors fence. The "previous owners" had built this area up and put in a rock wall, so I wanted to make it look nice.

Since an alley way runs behind my house, and next to that runs a major biking and jogging trail, the kids of the neighborhood ride their bikes in the extreme vicinity of my home. And Friday it was no different, as I hacked and sawed at rubbery trunks of things that knew no horticutural master. Three younglings (prolly 10 or 12 years in age) came tearing up on their bikes and stopped not but 15 feet from me as I worked. They talked to each other, as humans often do.

"Nigga, blah blah blah muthafuckin blah blah blah muthafuka" said one.

"Nigga, blah blah blah muthafuckin blah blah blah muthafuka" said the second.

"Nigga! Look at you cursin' in front of a grown man! I can't believe you!" said the third. "I'm showin' that man respect by not cursin' in front of him, nigga!"

Realizing that I had been brought into this, I had few choices... I could play the "authority" and say "Yes - you should strive to use better words and communicate on an intelligent level" and look like a real tool. I could ignore it, and place myself as an outsider to the neighborhood kids who might be back in October to egg my house because I'm "stuck up" or something. I could laugh it off...

"A grown man? Me?" Said I "It's nothing I haven't heard before".

But really, the moral of this story is that if the third was going to show anyone respect, he should show it to his friends and leave the "nigga" word at home.

But I didn't say that.