Young Man: Stories from the Y

Before I was trusted to fend for myself on the playground after school, I took part in the YMCA’s after-school program. To get to the Y, someone drove around in a van to different schools picking up kids. We had different drivers, “counselors” is what they called them. My favorite was a fat black man by the name of Dennis. He wore tracksuit jackets, tinted eyeglasses, and an English cap. For some reason, I recall an unlit cigar in his mouth. Dennis was kind. Funny, the impression that man left on me simply because he was nice. Other counselors left lifetime impressions too, but for different reasons. It…