Everyone was sitting in the cafeteria this morning. I decided to go up and play the piano. A small black girl of about 9 came over and stood beside me as I played. I asked her if she wanted to play. She said yes but suggested that we play together and sat down next to me. I didn't know how we could play together so I just decided to watch her play. She hardly touched the keys when a voice from the middle of the room shouted in our direction, "What are you doing sitting next to that man? You don't know him! Get your butt over here." The girl put a smile on her face to hide her embarrassment. I wasn't embarrassed that she wanted to play or that she was sitting next to me. But apparently, the fact that she was sitting next to a homeless man who was a stranger was too much for the mother. She went over to her mother under a barrage of yelling and hard criticism. I played the last little tune of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and then got up to sit back...