I am trying to lose weight and get in shape, but with my wife’s new job starting today some things are changing around here. One of those things is that I no longer have my free gym membership. That’s okay, I can walk and bike and jog and all other sorts of super boring things to keep myself in shape. But then, I discovered a way to make exercising far less boring. Pokemon Go.
If you have not heard of Pokemon Go, it is because you do not use the internet. Since you are reading this online I am going to assume that you use the internet. But just in case somebody printed this out for you to read on paper because you do not use the internet, I will explain. Pokemon Go is a game in which you catch Pokemon, but the catch is that the Pokemon are all out in the real world. You have to go find them. Basically the game involves wandering around an area, possibly in circles over and over again, trying to find where the Pokemon is hiding, and then you stand there like an idiot swiping at your phone until you have captured it. It is ridiculous, and it is ridiculously fun. I walked three miles today chasing a Raticate. I am going to lose so many pounds!
But there is a problem. I have read more than one article from people of color who understand that there is a difference between a white person wandering into your parking lot and loitering there suspiciously for a while, and a non-white person doing the same thing. Statistically, there is a much higher chance that a person of color will be labeled “suspicious” than a white person. And so many non-white people are staying away from the latest cultural phenomenon, because it is simply not safe for them to play it. And this is not okay.
I don’t know if I am doing everything I can to bring about racial justice in this world, but I can do this one thing. If you live in Burlington, VT, and you are afraid to go out and play Pokemon Go because (and let’s be honest, it is super sketchy anyway) you are afraid that your skin color will make you a target for harassment or suspicion, I will Pokemon Go with you. If having a white male with you would make things safer or easier for you, and I can use my privilege to your advantage, I will do it. Call me. Or, well, e-mail me. I am not putting my phone number on this page, obviously. But seriously, tenordad@tenordad.com. Let’s meet up. I have already met dozens of random people playing this game, and I would like to meet you too. I can’t walk a mile in your shoes, but I can Pokemon Go next to you.
People who do not live in Vermont and who also play Pokemon Go, maybe repost this if you are willing to Pokemon Go with someone else. Let’s make sure that nobody is left out of this experience because of skin color. And once we are all together, all races and walks of life, out in the streets making a difference in the stray Pokemon population, maybe we can have other discussions. Maybe we can continue to walk with each other after the game has run its course. Maybe something small can end up making a big difference.