When Skateboards Will Be Free -- A memoir of a political childhood by Said Sayrafiezadeh

As a member of the so-called working class, there have been times, albeit fleeting, when I've thought that maybe socialism wouldn't be such a bad thing. Equality, no rich people, a workers' rebellion -- it's pretty heady stuff to think about it.

However, I've never done more than just think about it. Socialism has some pretty negative connotations in this country, it's a small fringe group and, besides, wouldn't being rich be simply awesome?

Said Sayrafiezadeh's did more than think about socialism -- they actively practiced it. They are members of the Socialist Workers Party. Not exactly a group in the U.S. with a huge membership, but a passionate, dedicated group nonetheless.

In his memoir, When Skateboards Will be Free, Said tells us about what it's like to have a political childhood. The title refers to a longing Said had to own a skateboard. His mother told him that "when the revolution comes - skateboards will be free."

Said's father is a mathematics professor from Iran. His mother, a secretary. They split up when Said was very young, but did not divorce. Said lived with his mother in a series of run-down apartments. His father, brother and sister lived apart and were only occasionally and tangentially part of his life.

During the 70's & 80's Said observed his mother's extreme devotion to the party. Any free time was spent trying to sell copies of The Militant (the party's newspaper), going to party meetings, and supporting Socialist candidates. The latter particularly seemed like an extreme exercise in futility.

A vacation for Said meant going to Oberlin College in Ohio to attend party conventions or taking a Spring Break trip to Cuba. Pretty fun stuff for a kid!

Said is compassionate towards his parents, but recognizes early on that he is living a peculiar life. How many kids are addressed as "the little revolutionary," as his parents' "comrades" called him? He's good at spouting off party lines, but it's pretty clear that the words are hollow to him.

When Skateboards Will be Free is a short book and a quick read. I polished it off in a few reading sessions over the weekend. I liked the author and felt compassion towards him -- it's hard enough to be a kid, but when you're not like your peers it's even harder. Not only was his parents' beliefs a pain in the butt to him, but he also had to deal with his Iranian heritage -- not an easy feat during the Iran hostage crisis in the 80's.

I'd recommend this book to people. like me, who love memoirs. If you're curious about socialism, it's interesting as well. I don't think When Skateboards Will be Free will be used as a recruiting tool by the party, however.