Coach Bill / Dad, Entrepreneur Special Educator, American Political Scientist, Writer, Musician.

A pessimist approached me in conversation yesterday. He said to me, “for two years, you have been talking about bringing people together at the skatepark and nothing has happened. He continued, “I look around and nothing has changed. There is no one here and no one knows about what you do.” I sat and waited for him to finish. He was not done. “Skateboarding is not about bringing people together. ‘Scooter kids’ come in and take over with no respect. The students you bring in are not skaters, they have nothing to do with skateboarding. To them, skateboarding is a fun thing they do at a scheduled hour. They are not ‘thrashers.’ You failed Bill and you the true skaters do not even show up at the park anymore. Bringing in  ‘special needs people’ to skateboard is dangerous too. This is not a place for them. They should not be allowed to skateboard here. In here, it is possible to die. The ‘special needs kids’ will never be true skateboarders. It is not right what you have d...

Paulo had a cane and walked slowly. As I exited the doors he simply stared at me. I could tell he wanted to speak with me. His eyes told me to come over to him and then his arm waived me over. He had as of yet to speak with his mouth. A calm-looking man of few words who paced himself in the few steps he took as I walked over to him. Paulo, of Italian heritage with a U.S. Army cap picked up his cane and pointed it at an aged tree leaning at a 15 degree angle to one side. "Rats eat this tree, " he said to me. "Hi, sir! Ok. Let me see. Show me." "Look!" He pointed with his cane again as we approached the tree stepping off the asphalt driveway. We ambled into the thicket of dead leaves and dry branches. Again, he lifted his cane, this time poking the tree in its rotten belly. "Rats have eaten it up and it will fall." He now pointed to the preschool labeled 25 Valley Drive. I asked him if he knew who I was. He said nothing to that. ...