The All Star

blog posts, Mr. Bacon 0

The kid is huge. He is a gifted athlete. He is the star of his traveling baseball team and, at 13 years-old, already famous in our small town for his ability to hit a baseball a country mile. He is popular, good looking and carries himself with the cockiness that can be expected from someone born with his gifts.

He wasn’t pushed by a teacher. He wasn’t trying to earn brownie points with his mom. He wasn’t trying to impress a girl or star in a viral feel-good YouTube video. 

He saw my son getting out of the car, anxious and stimming. It was his first day of Middle School. He changed his course, walked over to my son, greeted him with, “Hey, Eric,” and gave him a high five.

I have no idea if the greeting meant anything to my son. I envy his ability to seemingly not give a care about such trivial interpersonal gestures. But, the greeting made my wife tear up, and it won this young man another fan in me that has nothing to do with athletics.