My Favorite Ghetto Girl's Son

Oh New York City! How I love thee!

Everyone knows I love a New York City-bred ethnic girl. Preferably a particular type of Latina (i.e. nasally, loud, and crass). Preferably very colorful (i.e. ghetto-as-hell). Preferably very hip (i.e. with some hoops the diameter of a basketball and half a bottle of gel holding those curls in place but bangs blow-dried as straight as an arrow). I love this girl, but yesterday I ran into her 8 year old son.

Three kids are walking out of the supermarket. The 8 year old was the oldest and the leader- a husky yet agile boy with cut-off sweats (which I'm obsessed with this summer) and a tank top which obviously belonged to his father, but which obviously he had been wearing to play in all day. I could only assume the other two were his siblings or cousins (you know how we latinos have 1001 cousins). There was a lanky boy of about 7 with the look of adventure in his eyes and an adorable little 5 or 6 year old girl with the cutest little "moñitos" (ponytails, but they tiny little curly ones you usually see on hair that will one day be relaxed).

As they're walking down the street with some delicious popsicles and potato chips enjoying the simplicity of their childhood summer in the city streets , the husky 8 year old turns to the adventurous wormy one and says; "You betta share that shit wid 'er or imma take it away! You best belief me." I nearly toppled over and fell. I have to give you a video:

I must say that I was impressed by this kid being so caring of the other two. Choice of words, phrasing, and delivery...not so much but the underlying message of community and sharing that this mother has instilled in this child was awesome to experience. And that's the thing about some of these women: we see them pushing strollers down the street in their tight-ass pants, speaking to these children in a way that makes you cringe, and we think they are too young to have three kids, but all in all, they have a set of values that might sometimes challenge ours; and even if the words and tones they use are not our favorite, they're saying the right thing.