You never know.

Today, while driving on a major road, i glanced in my rearview mirror and saw the strangest sight i may have seen in years.  Two older men, possibly in their late sixties/early seventies, riding a candy-apple red honda motorcycle.  The man in front wore a worn-in white sleeveless t-shirt, the ones sometimes referred to as a "wife-beater" shirt.  His white stubble was easily four or five days old, his hair was slicked back with either intentionally purchased or days-without-a-shower grease, and i imagined he had nicotine-stained fingertips.  He looked (if anyone can have this look) as if he were a red neck, the confederate-flag-toting type.  He was smiling as he chatted to the man behind him at the red light.


The strangest sight refers mostly to the above mention of his red-neck-confederate-flag-toting type.  Because the man he was laughing with was a black man.  He was equal in age, and with his white five-day-old stubble.  He was laughing with the driver as happily.  I'd say i felt bad for thinking this first man could have been a racist purely based on his look, but feeling bad was the last emotion i had.  i was shocked, and pleased and then laughing within a few seconds.  And then the light changed, and i drove on, and they continued on their way.  I have no idea what their relation could have been.  They could have been best friends for fifty years.  They could have been brothers.  Who knows.  I do know that i rarely (and i can honestly say that for real) judge people based on their looks.  but this duo just shocked and entertained me. They made my day.  You really never know who anyone is by their outside appearance.  And you really never know who you might see behind you, when you least expect a sight, in your rearview mirror.