A few summers ago I was walking from my house just off the main strip in downtown Santa Cruz, up the way to the record store. As I'm walking I see this skinhead guy - shaved head, no shirt with his boxers hanging all out of his jeans - and his entire torso, front & back, is covered in various and sundry "white power" tattoos. All over. So he's talking to some girl on the bench, and I just continue on my way, checking out his ink as I walk past. Although I try not to form first impressions, this guy pretty much demands it, so I place him squarely in the "crazy" category and go along my way.

As I'm returning from the record store, I see the same guy still there on the corner. As I approach, though, this car comes up in the same direction as me and slows down a bit. I don't remember exactly but it was something like a mid-70's Cadillac, painted some shade of purple, and there's this portly black dude driving it. He hollers out his window at the skinhead guy, and already I'm thinking like "what am I about to witness." So the white guy looks over, sees who it is and is all "Oh what's up man!?" like they're the best of friends. And then they continue to have a quick, entirely friendly conversation, skinhead with no shirt and white power tattoos and black dude driving a Caddy, old buddies, and then say their goodbyes and the dude drives off. And as he does, I swear this was like a movie scene, or some after-school special or something, I notice he's got this bumper sticker, and I sort of zoom in on it and what does it say, but "Don't Believe Everything You Think".

So...you know, just goes to show - try not to form first impressions.

the end.