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July 08, 2005
Street Racing with the Neighborhood Boys
As I was riding home in the dark a few nights ago, I turned a corner and found myself surrounded by a group of neighborhood boys on bikes. One of them yelled, “Hey, let’s race!” and he took off pedaling his little wheels like a hummingbird. I said, “OK!” Then I told him he is really fast. His buddies dropped off pretty quickly but this guy picked up speed. I kept his pace, slightly behind and about 6 blocks down the road he pulled off to the corner. I waved to him and said, “Cool! See ya later! Good job!” I didn’t know what to say to him really. What’s an encouraging word to a kid who could spin so fast? Those 20” wheels were smoking! Well, it was dark and I couldn’t see them actually smoking but I thought for a minute I smelled burning rubber ;-)
For me this encounter was a highlight of my day. It’s real life. Like the little boy hanging out by the bike shop looking for something to do, these boys were no different. They beg to be occupied by something interesting and challenging. They also want to be recognized, treated with respect, like real people. Too often we marginalize certain people in our society. We don’t know we are doing it to them usually, because we’re not the ones watching them go outside with their heads down. I’ve seen it happen now with the homeless guys I’ve been working alongside at the bike shop. Some people are very critical of them and use degrading comments. They also distrust them and think automatically that they are going to steal things. I’ve seen one homeless guy walk away with his head down, not looking the person in the eye. I tell you, what is a guy going to believe when he’s constantly told how crappy he is?
What would the outcome have been if I told those boys to beat it, get away from me, or if I mocked them and told them they were too slow to keep up with me? They might have just blown it off but they might have also hung their heads. They probably get put in their place enough the way it is. So it would be nothing new for them.
I don’ t have the expertise to design and put in place new youth and homeless/people out of work programs myself, but I feel myself being drawn in that direction. I wish I could find a good volunteer to head up something like that. There are examples to follow throughout the U.S. of earn-a-bike programs and youth education programs. So I wouldn’t have to start from scratch. Evidently the Bike Depot has even been part of starting neighborhood bike clubs with a set of bikes and training on basic maintenance, safety and riding activities. It’s a good idea. There should also be follow-up and ongoing work to continue what was started.
Besides full-blown organized efforts to get people engaged, being aware of and recognizing the curious boy who wants to help and the neighborhood boy who spins like a hummingbird is a good start. And it’s good to comment on the things the homeless guy is doing right, rather than finding fault and making sure he knows it’s his fault. Even if we are too busy to work with them or participate in something with them at the moment, there is always a respectful way to treat other people and allow them to maintain their dignity.
Posted by carl1236 at July 8, 2005 11:44 AM | Love your Neighbor
Comments
Your post reminded me of this other post.
Posted by: nathan at July 8, 2005 02:05 PM