IMMA CAPTAIN AMERICA.........and so is you..........

When i was a kid, i adored CAPTAIN AMERICA..........don't ask me why i idolized an instrument of WW2 propaganda..........i just did......i thought he was cool......he rose above judgement........in my mind, there was no propaganda..........

it's funny.....if you look back over the history of comic books, there are loads of covers which feature CAPTAIN AMERICA punching out HITLER and other such repressive entities........

When i was six years old, i had an incredible set of rubberized action figures.......the full gamut of superheroes......and a dumptruck-load of sand in the front yard......the perfect setting for superhero brouhaha..........

I also had a friend named Hank..........Hank was black..........and he was cool as hell..........he lived a mile and a half away in a very large subdivision......but we found each other,because we were kindred souls..........i felt right at home walking into his house for the first time and smelling the incense burning and seeing the MOTHER'S FINEST 8-track on the kitchen table(i just dated myself).............

We played ROC-EM SOC-EM ROBOTS and electric football with abandon and glee........his family took me to see MR. WRESTLING NUMBER TWO take on ABDULLAH THE BUTCHER at THE BELL AUDITORIUM.........in other words, in the world of six year olds we were as tight as that fabled prom date.........only purely innocent..........

One Saturday afternoon, Hank and I were playing on that sandpile when my Dad came to pick me up for the weekly visit...........somehow or another, the rubber band holding CAPTAIN AMERICA'S two legs to his body broke...........and it just happened to be in Hank's hands at the time...........I PITCHED A FIT...........i poured out the blame on him as my father waited to take me for the weekend..........Hank looked so sad to me as i rode away in my father's car............

When i returned on Sunday evening, i found a brand new CAPTAIN AMERICA waiting for me.........i think i cried from guilt.........i know i've cried from guilt since then........that kid Hank was my first true friend, and i had been a complete asshole to him over a piece of plastic and rubber..........and despite my lack of grace and forgiveness.........and despite the fact that his own family was EXTREMELY poor, he made ammends where it really wasn't due..........and for that, i owe Hank.........

Shortly after that, we moved from the neighborhood and i never got to express my appreciation for what a great friend Hank was to me when we played kick the can at the bus stop.........and when we roamed the neighborhood like pirates........and when i wronged him that day and he repayed me with kindness........EXACTLY as JESUS would've done i'm sure(not to preach at anyone).........but shit........if JESUS broke my CAPTAIN AMERICA action figure, he would've brought me a new one........even after i cursed his name.........it's called grace............

sometimes you see it in real life..........

years down the road, i ran into Hank.........he was living out the life afforded by his station.........he never really did so well in school........so he was grinding out a blue collar existence............but i'm sure he was doing it with grace and style..........

his eyes lit up when we met again..........and so did mine.............i miss friends like my friend Hank........we were six years old.........


Rock it like you're trying to commit murder........

Stak