To the boy who tags our bridge...

I went for a run yesterday and saw a young boy fleeing after adding graffiti to our local bridge. I've seen his artistry quite a few times over the past couple of years and it always moves me. Not what he writes or how he writes it but the fact that he does.

I always wonder what drives him to commit the crime of tagging. Is it the rush of excitement about doing something without getting caught (tagging during the daytime)? Is it a sense of ownership and identity surrounding the placement of his tag (always tagging our local bridge)? Perhaps there are 'friends' out there that he is driven to impress. I read an article from New Zealand about the motivations behind graffiti artists and it reflected similar assumptions.

Whatever is going through his mind I wish I could let him know that my heart breaks for him. I wish he could know that he doesn't need to fight his inner battles alone and that there are answers to his questions. And I look around and wonder who else in my neighbourhood is carrying these questions. How would I know? If they spoke out, would I be ready to respond with love?