It's High School Football Time!

I went to Ryan's football game on Friday night. Greg decided to stay home with the girls because he was really exhausted from his day and wasn't feeling too well. I was tired, too, but one of us has to go to support Ryan's team, so it was me. To my surprise, my mom also wanted to go!

The atmosphere was great! Mama and I excitedly made our way through the crush of bodies and the sea of chatter all around. All traces of the fatigue I felt on the way there melted away and I was ready to be loud, rowdy, and proud! (Okay, not too rowdy 'cause I don't really 'get down like that', but you get the picture). It was almost time for the teams to burst onto the field when they showed up! Think of the tightest, shortest outfits you can and you'll begin to get an idea of what some of the hot mamas at the high school wore. All I could see was BANG! POW! and BOOM! I really wondered if their mothers saw them before they left the house. They could not possibly have allowed this. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, the unthinkable happened-- the group of young "ladies" opened their mouths to speak.

In the words of Florida Evans, "Damn, damn, DAMN!"

I saw flashes of gold teeth (who still does that?), and heard cussing and ebonics (and not all of them were Black) until I felt my ears would bleed. A couple of the girls looked behind them, saw my teacher badge, and shushed the others. Surprisingly, they looked back and one even apologized. I was shocked and then embarrassed about pre-judging them by their appearance. After all, they seemed to have some redeeming qualities. In the end, I decided that they were probably good kids who either acted like that to fit in, or they'd learned these patterns of behavior from their parents. I wanted to grab them up, one by one, and hug those babies and tell them I'd be glad to mentor them or pair them up with mentors who will show them the good parts of life, but then...

But then...

the boys burst onto the field! Hell, I'm a mama and my baby was on the field. I'd have to think of ways to help those girls later. Yep, it's high school football time, Folks! I'm a mama with a son who plays on his varsity team. He's really good, too.

But I am also a teacher... and a woman... and a part of this community that we often refer to as the village it takes to raise a child. I think of those young ladies, and my heart hurts; and I am so ashamed because I dismissed them from my mind until just this moment...