What would have happened if we never have the Talk? The Talk is as old as time. It is the moment when an important piece of knowledge is transferred from father to son. It’s a father’s duty to have the Talk with his son when the young man comes of age.
As a father of a nine-year old boy, I’m not looking forward to the Talk. I’m not sure how to broach the subject. Do I bring it up over dinner? Do I take him out for ice cream? Do we discuss it one night before going to bed? If I find the place and time, I will need to summon every last piece of courage in my body to discuss such an uncomfortable subject. I’ll long for the days when our discussions centered
on such important matters such as: who’s faster The Flash or Sonic The Hedgehog?
Nevertheless, I cannot put it off too much longer. Zion is growing up quickly right in front of my eyes, and I owe it to him to have the Talk. If I do not, he is going to be unprepared as he grows into a strong young man. Or he is going to hear about it from one of his friends. Worse yet, he is going to have a trial by fire.
Let’s imagine its June 18, 2027. In a world without social distancing, face masks and being greeted by contact less thermometers every time you walked into a store. Zion is 16 and out on a date with, in my not so humble opinion, a very lucky young lady. Zion is in driver’s seat, and his date is loving life in the passenger seat.
They are two kids enjoying the end of school, the sun, being sixteen and the freedom that comes with youth.
Then quicker than either the Flash or Sonic the Hedgehog, Zion puts his hand on the young lady’s thigh. The young lady responds in kind by placing her hand on his leg. They look into each other’s eyes with a primal intensity. They know exactly what each other is feeling. Right when things are about to boil over…., the sound of a police siren throws cold water over the date.
Zion pulls over followed closely by the police car. In his car, the officer takes a deep breath, says something into his radio and slowly get out of his car.
How does the officer react? He pulled over a young black teenager going the flow of traffic. Is he planning on giving Zion a warning? Is he planning to tell Zion he has a headlight out? Does he view Zion as a harmless teenager or a strong threatening black male? Is he mentally preparing for a fight? Has he already made up his mind Zion is an animal and should be treated as such?
Most importantly, how does Zion react? Is he polite and respectful when stopped by the police? Does he keep both hands on the wheel? Does he view the officer as a friend or a threat to his life? Is he mentally preparing for a fight? Has he made his mind up this is a bad cop looking to hurt me?
How will Zion know to act when approached by a police officer if we never have the Talk? What would have if we never have the Talk?