I had been in airports all day, finally got home and needed a drink to wind down. I decided to go the local rat hole (dive bar) for a couple of glasses of scotch which I suspect had been sitting there without demand for a couple of years. It was a hard metal/ska bar and many patrons were vets of the ongoing wars.
At first, everyone assumed I was an undercover cop. Since I was an older guy and I was writing stuff on paper shortly after I came in. I even caught the bouncer trying to read what I was writing over my shoulder. I was writing stuff about the new business I was planning. After a while I started to blend. I chatted with a few folks about football. There were a few of the Iraq war types who were in the death metal category. I overheard them talking about death metal, and war and such....then I heard the magic word:
Big-Wheel!
more on the flip
Near the end of the night they announced "last chance for a smoke" before shutting down the bar. About 20 people went outside for a smoke. I was puffing away like a typical addict and then I heard the Death Metal group/Iraq war vets mention the bigwheel.
It brought me back to my earliest memories, a bigwheel. Sadly I got into an argument as to whether an old man like me (early 40's) could ever have truly known a bigwheel. We argued over whether the bigwheel was all plastic or had metal. It got nasty, the Metal group decided to move away from me to organize! It was like a political party organizing on how to attack.
I had developed a rapport with the bouncer and when they did that I met eyes with him and we both mutually shook heads. A dark skinned man had been listening to everything we had said. He jumped in to change the dynamic and started to control the conversation. (He was voicing support). We decided to move inside for last call and his girlfriend and I started chatting. She was 20 ish, cute, big time pro-Obama but unsure about Biden. She hated Bush. Also she was white. We chatted for quite a while and I told her about Biden explaining why he was a good person. She told me that this was a fantasy and that Obama would be assassinated. I explained to her that the secret service are good at what they do and that what they do did not exist (in their current form) in 1960, or in 1968. Things have changed. I also explained that lots of people around the globe hate Bush but he's still alive. The Secret Service do their job and do it well!
The night ended when the black guy asked his girlfriend and I what we were talking about? I told him we were talking politics (true, I do not hunt) I was just enjoying the moment with someone that had never realized they have established a philosophy. He said she never shuts up about that stuff. The three of us walked out together, they got into their car and I walked home. No one followed.
Interesting night.
BTW, the metal group were also wearing quite a few racist symbols. I have no idea if they understood this topic in depth, perhaps they know more about it more than I. I'll find out next weekend. BTW, the bouncer gets it and that gives me my nads. He's an observant guy and evidently metes out bar policy.