I was stopped behind a big Chevy Silverado this morning, black with red trim and designs covering the back window and tailgate that looked like the tattoos on Mike Tyson's face. The trailer hitch was a custom chrome piece that near as I could tell was a bare ass. I'm not sure if it was meant to be suggestive or insulting. Clearly, this was a manly man's truck. Because of the back window decal, I couldn't see the driver, but I quickly formed an image of a burly young guy wearing a Harley-Davidson muscle tee to show off the barbed wire tattoo around his left bicep.
So I had to smile when I noticed that his license plate was one of those new pink ones to support breast cancer awareness. Here's a guy who carefully maintains a tough image via his truck, and yet he cares enough about women's health that he paid extra for that pink license plate, set off nicely by a license plate holder that looks like a heavy-linked chain. There's a story there. And I'm sure it's a touching one that would break some of the stereotypes I'd so quickly formed about the unseen driver ahead of me. (Like the fact that I automatically assumed it was a man... I've certainly known women who would drive a truck like that.)
Even the tough guy
stopped here in the monster truck
cares about his mom.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I realized that one of the things I like about your blog is remembering my own stories...hope it is ok to share one with you here. About stereotypes: I was doing some field work way up near Alligash enjoying the extreme remoteness while I was working. The forester I was with had just shown me the oldest cedar tree I had ever seen (and it had a bear den under the roots!) We carefully crossed the badly broken road with missing culverts -- not a place many people would be able to drive to and I rather liked that. Coming toward us however was a huge cloud of dust, and it wasn't long till I saw and soon heard the dozen ATV's. I recall wondering what could be fun about that (you know, "yahoos on an ATVs")...can't see or hear and mostly just tasting dust! Turns out the forester knew one of the riders and they chatted for a moment. He and his friends were making their annual pilgrimage to the old cedar, and he was especially excited to share this "elder" with his new girlfriend who rode on the back of his ATV. GEESH! Yahoos? They were just like me -- deeply moved by this ancient tree.
ReplyDeleteThat's a wonderful story, Laura! The best stories inspire more stories, in my opinion. Thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDelete