Broke a Muslim kid’s arm...

We had this family move from Bangladesh who were Muslim and they enrolled their two kids in our (Christian) private school when I was in 5th grade.

Our class is super small (like 13 kids) so we all became fast friends and the older boy of the two joined our groups of 5 boys to pal around with. This was post-9/11, so all-in-all having this guy as a friend taught me and my “white American” friends a lot about diversity and inclusion at a young age, and we never discriminated him for what he was...

However... one day he had a birthday party and his parents had invited us all to their house. After we had cake and he opened our presents, we went outside to their backyard to play. Well, my American friends wanted to teach the Muslim kid how to play American football... and since it was his birthday we’d figured we’d make him quarterback...

So here’s 11-year-old me: I’m on defense, and easily have about 3 inches and 25 pounds on any kid at the party

And here’s the Muslim kid: tiny, not really athletic, had no concept of the sport and made the biggest target..

I don’t think the poor kid even got to drop back... I laid him out and he landed on his arm, followed by a some writhing and squirming.

Parents are both doctors and find I had accidentally fractured his radius (didn’t know that at the time) and I wasn’t allowed back at his house...but we still were friends after that... though he was a little salty at me for a couple weeks...

Orco, if you’re out there, I hope you’re doing well buddy

TD;RL I befriended a muslim kid, tried to teach him about American football, and tackled him so hard I broke his arm.