A few steps later he worries about the birds in the pet store where everyone chain smokes. He wants to set some free.
Parental Guidance
Grenier's not at an age yet where he should be thinking about nesting, but he has been thinking a lot about family and saving lost things. He's close with his mom, who still lives in the Harlem neighborhood where he grew up. His biological father, who was never part of the picture, is now becoming the picture. Grenier is in the process of making a documentary, A Shot in the Dark, about getting back in contact with his dad. He filmed a crucial scene the week before on his birthday, when he surprised his father by showing up on his doorstep with a camera crew.
"It's not like he wasn't there. I always knew where he was, but I never had a relationship with him," he says.
Suddenly, a Payless shoe store catches his eye. He looks down at his sneakers. "Maybe I should get some shoes," he says.
At the 10 1/2 rack, he stoops down to check out a find: a pair of steel gray Pro Wings with thick Velcro straps instead of laces. They are ugly shoes for old men, but Grenier is effusive.




