Hello CTB Family,
It’s your friendly, neighborhood, self-appointed Bishop here.
Today I bring you another installment of Real Conversations with Baltimore Teens. This conversation occurred in my car while I was taking a group of teens I work with on a fun excursion to a corn maze. I was talking with a kid I had only met once before.
Names of people and schools have been changed to protect the innocent.
Brace yourself.
Off we go…
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Me: (welcoming the sophomore in High School as he climbs into the passenger seat of my car) Hey, Rashid. You pumped about the farm?
Rashid: Uh, yeah. You know.
Me: Have you ever been before?
Rashid: Huh?
Me: Have you ever been to this farm before?
Rashid: Huh?
Me: (realizing he has ear buds in his ears) Are you listening to music while you try and talk to me?
Rashid: (removing one ear bud) What did you say?
Me: Take the head phones out so we can talk.
Rashid: Oh, yeah. Sure. (leaves one ear bud out, but keeps the other in) What was you sayin’?
Me: What are you listening to?
Rashid: Jay Z. Holy Grail.
Me: Have you ever been to this farm before?
Rashid: Nah.
Me: So tell me about yourself. What did you do today?
Rashid: Uh. I had Saturday school.
Me: What’s that?
Rashid: School on Saturday.
Me: Yeah. I got that much.
Rashid: It’s like for little kids. My school makes me go and help so I can graduate.
Me: Do you like, tutor the kids?
Rashid: Yeah.
Me: Are you a strong student?
Rashid: Huh?
Me: Do you make good grades?
Rashid: I got one C this semester.
Me: Hey, that’s great. Only one C. So you get mostly A’s?
Rashid: (laughing) No, no. Right now I got four F’s and one C. I don’t really do school.
Me: But you tutor other kids on Saturday?
Rashid: Yeah.
Me: So, if school isn’t your thing, what do you do?
Rashid: What do you mean?
Me: I mean, if you suck at school, what are you going to be when you grow up?
Rashid: I’m going to play in the NBA.
Me: Oh? You play basketball.
Rashid: Yeah. I’m awesome.
Me: Your high-school had a good team last year right?
Rashid: Yeah. We were great.
Me: How far did you go?
Rashid: Oh. No. I wasn’t on the team.
Me: Oh? Why not?
Rashid: Well, you see, I didn’t feel like goin’ out for it. The coach was all beggin’ me and stuff, but I decided to do lacrosse instead.
Me: Oh? So you played lacrosse last year? That’s cool.
Rashid: No. No. They said I needed to take this physical, but I didn’t feel like it. So I said I’d just wait until football to take it.
Me: Oh. So you played on the football team?
Rashid: Nah. Nah. I was goin’ out for tryouts, but the coach was trippin’ and stuff so I walked ’cause I don’t need that shit. I mean, I’m really a basketball player anyway.
Me: So are you on the team this year?
Rashid: I decided I wanted to do lacrosse again ’cause I don’t really like playin’ with the coach at my school. He doesn’t know what he’s doin’. I mean, I don’t even think he knows how to play.
Me: Where did you learn to play lacrosse?
Rashid: What do you mean?
Me: Well, it’s a hard sport, right? I’ve never played, but it looks like just getting use to running with the ball in the stick can be hard. Did you play rec as a kid?
Rashid: I mean, I haven’t ever actually tried it before. But I’m an athlete. I’ll pick it up quick.
Me: I don’t think so.
Rashid: (laughing) Alright. Alright.
Me: So…you’re headed for the NBA then?
Rashid: Yep.
Me: But you haven’t played any high-school ball yet.
Rashid: I don’t need that.
Me: How are you going to get on a college team without high-school ball?
Rashid: Oh. I don’t do school. When I turn 18, I’m just goin’ to walk on.
Me: Walk on?
Rashid: Yeah, yeah. Like, I’m just goin’ to take a bus to Chicago and get on the Bulls. Like Jordan.
Me: I don’t think you know Jordan’s full story.
Rashid: Yes. I do. He didn’t play in high-school. Then he went to the Bulls.
Me: No. He played for North Carolina. He played in college.
Rashid: No.
Me: Yes.
Rashid: I don’t think you know what you’re talkin’ ’bout.
Me: What are you listening to now?
Rashid: Watch the Throne.
Me: Hmmm.
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I hope you have enjoyed this little tale. I feel it illustrates some major problems our city must overcome if it is to thrive…but politics is more Denis the Cynics thing. Go listen to the podcast for all that.
Sincerely,
The Bishop of the CTB
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