Let me guess what kind of car you drive... the 20 something waiter flirted with the 20 something girls that we were at the time.
He guessed that she drove an Accord or something with 4 doors, very conservative, while, for me...
"You drive a yellow convertible bug." There was also something about a Peace Corps bumper sticker but I can't recall exactly what that was about. I was trying to figure out why this guy, who I had never met, thought I would drive a yellow convertible bug? Bugs are cute, but I didn't drive one.
Perceptions and misperceptions as they pertain to politics and human relations fascinate me. I have always found other's perceptions of me to be intriguing.
Not that I make it easy to figure out who I am at first glance. What would be the fun of that? People seem to enjoy trying to guess my political affiliation as well as my profession. They underestimate my degree and range of interest, often making the mistake of labeling me as only a mom. Nuances, shades of gray, the lingerie underneath the conservative dress - when do we learn that there is so much more to people than what meets the eye?
I am not sure why that conversation with that 20 something guy popped into my head this morning. Thinking back, I can understand why he might have put me in such a car. I had just returned from living in Prague, Czech Republic for a year and was preparing to move to San Francisco. The hurry, hurry, rush, rush, mentality of the US had not yet reentered my blood stream. I was relaxed, calm, and all natural. Probably exactly the image of a person he believed would drive a yellow convertible bug with a Peace Corps sticker!
I wonder what sort of car he would put me in today? What perception would he have were we to repeat the scene now, 15 years later?
Throughout the past few weeks, I have moved in different circles and traveled in vastly different areas. Sitting here, this morning, I wonder how closely the perceptions of others would match the reality that is me?
4 comments:
I wonder what sort of car he would put me in today? - a little red Corvette. :-)
No one would place me in it, but I love my practical little all wheel drive car. And, you know, I wouldn't have placed me in it 10 years ago, either.
DH...You're just saying that because you want me to hand you the keys so you can drive and tame this little red love machine...
JR...For some unknown reason, I would put you in a jeep. It is adventurous and fun and I love them!! So of course, a jeep would suit you in my mind.
TF - Curious... why?
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