People are funny....

[Mikey]

A few days ago I was driving through local business district that has lots of office buildings.  It was noon time and as usual I saw several people in business attire, but wearing sneakers, out walking for exercise during their lunch break.  I was stopped for a red light and two ladies who were also walking for exercise cross in front of me.  As they passed I noticed one lady wearing the customary sneakers but I laughed when I noticed the other lady was wearing high heels while walking at their brisk pace.

Then this morning while out driving I saw some tough looking gang-banger looking guy out walking his dog.  The man was perhaps 20 years old and was wearing a white wife-beater Tee, baggy black shorts with his underwear showing, white socks pulled up to his knee and black loafers.  Both arms and his neck were all tatted.  He was walking his pit bull right?  Nope.  At the end of his dainty leash was a nicely trimmed white toy poodle walking with her head held high.  It was quite a site.

People are funny...

[Esther]

You'd think the guy would have had a pit bull or some big tough dog. LOL

[Julles]

I've seen that gangsta and Dainty Dog thing myself.  I think people like small dogs, especially if they live in small quarters, or in very urban areas.

Also, I learned a valuable lesson about pre-judging people by their outward appearance.  (Not saying you did that, Mikey; I'm jumping in here with my own new topic.)  I stopped one day at a garage sale, and it was being run by two teens, a boy and a girl, outside a nice suburban home.  The kids were dressed in all black "grunge", had piercings and tattos and long chains and all of that.  So I was expecting some doped-up, disrespectful, airheaded clouts.  I was also thinking, "What the heck kind of parents allows their kids to dress like this?"

Instead, when the girl opened her mouth, she was the sweetest, most thoughtful, personable, intelligent and nice teen I've ever met.  Ditto for her brother.

I came to realize that dress has nothing to do with value, and I realized the parents were probably justifiably proud of their kids, and were willing to let the kids "express themselves" through their attire, because they were obviously turning out to be fine human beings.  Probably get good grades, too.


 

[Mikey]

I think our stereotypes are based upon our experiences but as you note not all are appearances are accurate.  Some 20 years ago or so I met some guy at a Bible study.  He had a full scraggly beard and his long hair pulled back into a pony tail.  Being a cop I paid attention to the tats on his arms, some of which I recognized as outlaw biker related.  As I got to know him I learned he was a former biker, drug user etc. and he had become a Christian.  He was one of the most gentle, thoughtful Christ filled people I have ever met.  He put me to shame.  His outer appearance was misjudged by me.  It's what's on the inside that we can't see, but which we surely can experience, that really truly counts.

[karen J]

I had piano students like that. I was warned that they were "rough around the edges", and they really did yell at each other a lot. But after teaching their kids for a couple of years, traveling with the mom to buy a new piano, and getting the dad to eventually take lessons as well, I came to the conclusion that you just can't judge a book from... that other thing. They really yelled a LOT though!

[Jonna]

One of my favorite Merida stories is walking down the street late one night and coming to a corner store with about 10 adolescent boys on the sidewalk in front.  They had on baggy pants and slicked back hair and baseball caps, my normal city self immediately considered crossing the street or stepping out off the sidewalk to avoid trying to walk through them.  There were a lot of buses coming up so I just toughed it out and as I approached them, they turned around, said "buenas noches señora" and moved apart to let me walk through.  I was astounded.   Whatever they looked like, they were well brought up young men and behaved as their mothers taught them.  Now, I've had the same thing happen numerous times.  If they don't see me and greet me first I now say 'buenas noches' and they look around, greet me politely and stand back for me to pass.  I think the civility here is one of the reasons I love living here so much.  It is a very civilized, polite and safe society.   

[Jerry]

slightly  A young one armed guy saved my ass big time.
It was at a boarding school called "St Francis Academy" in Laurel Springs NJ   I was given cold baths by a "House Mother" Boy was she!  She also whipped me with a wet towel.

I ran away a few times.  Was brought back by the police.  There was a huge Walnut tree where the kids hung out. Only the one armed boy could climb it as though he were Tarzan!
One day wnen the local police brought me back the boys decided to gang up on me.  So help me there were dozens!  The One armed boy was my savoir.  He jumped in and kicked a few asses!
That was the end of that. I took off again and this time they never saw me again!