One of the defining moments of my life occurred at the North Drive-in Theater in Denver, Colorado sometime when I was around seven or eight years old. My parents and I went to the North Drive-in Thereat located in Thornton, a new northern suburb of an ever-expanding Denver
The time would have been around 1954 or so. I am not exactly sure about the year, but I remember what happened with absolute clarity.
There was a children's playground located just below the big screen. My parents were sitting in our green 1952 Studebaker car. I went to the playground to play on the teeter-totter or merry-go-round until what-ever movie started.
I started to play with a kid my age. He was a Mexican. I figured that out. He was brown skinned. We were having fun until I asked him "Are you a Spic?"
He immediately left me. I was puzzled. What had I said?
I grew up in a family of Rednecks from Missouri. Baptists! I heard the most vile words about other people out of my Mother's mouth. My Dad didn't say those hateful words - mostly.
The current President of the United States is saying hateful things about others. I did not know any better when I was a child. He and I are basically the same age now. Okay, he is a year older. He is supposed to be smarter. I figured out that I really hurt that little boy. I have never forgotten what I said or the impact it had on him.
