It was in the left lane (I was in the right) and it flew past me.

Every time I heard her heart go galloping like a herd of horses it made her more real.

There was no bump, no sound, nothing. Yet I know it was there, and I had driven over it.

My neighborhood buddies and I used to tear up the streets of South Miami on our skateboards every day after school and all weekend long.

But what I really pondered as I cruised along (it was a long ride) was whether belonging was more likely to be a positive or a negative in our lives over the long term.