Walking back from town i see three boys in the street kind of roughhousing with each other – maybe 10-12 years old. As i get closer one of them comes toward me, “excuse me let me ask you something,” he says, all gray-eyed and mocha-skinned, “do you think everyone in this country has OCD?” 

“I can’t answer for everyone in this country,” i say, “but yeah, probably.” I think about how many times the standard representative of this country now checks a screen, and i start heading somewhere. He brings me back to the street.

“Do YOU have OCD,” he asks, looking at me with those gray eyes and beautiful lips – god, who did you grant the gift of bringing this one into the world? I don’t even notice his friends, can’t tell you now anything descriptive but this one, he’a been places and he’s going to more.

No, i say.

“So let me ask you one more question,” he says. Is everyone in this country a gold digger?”

Oh, that’s heavy. Oh. Weight.

I guess so, i venture. I hope not.

Are you? He says…

Oh god.

I say no and walk home thinking about opportunity.