Fun with Stereotypes
The house next door has finally sold, after sitting vacant for a couple of months. That means new neighbors, which is always an exciting prospect. The time between the posting of the "sold" sign and the arrival of the moving van is a great opportunity to wonder about the newcomers.
Will they be pit bull-raising, devil-worshipping, Democrat (pardon the redundancy) environmentalists with a set of two-year old triplets? Or will they be, you know, weird? Will they play Yanni music non-stop through their patio speakers? Or, will they finally be the neighbors who manage to get their lawn mower started more than once every six weeks?
The speculation is exciting. I can't wait to see what they drive, for then I will know everything there is to know about them. Yes, one's vehicular choice provides true insight into the very soul.
Just kidding, of course. I learned years ago to be very careful about making snap judgments based on initial encounters. For example, about ten years ago, a new couple arrived in our Sunday School class. She was a little, um, frumpy in that immediate post-child-bearing period that women despise; I knew that because they were accompanied by a sleeping two week old baby, undoubtedly just the latest in a long string of rugrats, given their ages (sames as ours, that is). He was equally, um, frumpy, probably from lack of sleep. Neither smiled too much and they came across as upper-lower-class citizens who made an honest but frugal living on his security guard salary.
Well, as it turned out, the missus was actually "Dr." (psychiatry) who had a degree in music, and a classically-trained voice. The husband was a crack petroleum engineer and electronics whiz who drove a BMW, and attended seminary. Both are gifted Bible teachers. The baby was their first. And they both turned into good friends. I've never shared my first impression with them, as I've been embarrassed about it for a decade. However, as I said, I learned a valuable lesson.
Therefore, my new neighbors have nothing to fear from my preconceived notions, as I probably won't have one. Unless, of course, the movers unload a series of Apple Computing boxes, in which case I'll know that the neighborhood has just been upgraded in every important way.
Daniel, it's too early to say, as they haven't yet moved in. There was a stirring of activity yesterday, as two Suburbans and a pickup assembled in the front drive, but it may have just been the cleaning crew getting the house ready for move-in.
Posted by: Eric at November 2, 2003 02:41 PMWell, you probably don’t have Columbian drug lords, then. As I recall, they drove a Bentley.
Posted by: Daniel Morris at November 2, 2003 05:02 PMyeah...at best, we'll have Columbian drug peónes. (Not to be confused with peonies, which are like pansies, only a bit tougher.)
Posted by: Eric at November 2, 2003 05:13 PMLOL
Posted by: Daniel Morris at November 2, 2003 10:58 PMAbout the publisher
Random Abbye photos...
Random Thursday: The Abbreviated Tuesday Political Edition
More rattler than meets the eye
Poop happens. And then disappears.
How the West was Won
Beware of Vampire Dog
Tieing? There's no tieing in gymnastics!
NBC Bungles Web Video
Random Thursday: The Monday Olympics Edition
On Holiday
Random Thursday
Chair Play
Book Review: "The Road"
Education is paramount. Well, next to jet skiing.
Warbirds, Old and New
The Neighborhood:
West Texas Blogs:
[Midland unless otherwise indicated]
Other Texas Blogs:
The Business:
The Church:
The World:
Well? They’ve been there a few days, so tell! Do they have visible horns? Play rap music at eleven with the volume turned up to earthquake? Those of us without actual lives of our own really, really want to know.
Then I can swap stories about the Columbian drug lords who lived next door to me in San Angelo.
Posted by: Daniel Morris at November 2, 2003 12:19 AM