For Kyle Lyons, parts of childhood are fading into memory as he learns to cope with an uncertain future. His parents fear what the pandemic is doing to him — and his Bronx neighborhood, one of the poorest in the country.
Otillia Steadman, BuzzFeed
When Kyle Lyons was younger, he wanted to be a police officer when he grew up. But now he’s 10, and times — and he — have changed.
“Oh, the police officers do good things. They help people,” he said of his prior thinking, in a voice that made it clear he didn’t believe that any longer. “So I really wanted to be a police officer.”
At some point, though, “I just stopped liking police officers.”
Since his change of heart, Kyle has wanted to be many things: a wrestler, an artist who makes pottery, maybe even a professional basketball or soccer player.
But right now, having completed his sixth month cooped up in a New York City apartment, he’s struggling to imagine his future.
“I haven't really put my mind to it, I guess,” he said. “Maybe it's because I'm home so much. I'm just, like, not really thinking about anything. I'm usually just home watching movies, playing video games.” Read more >>