Shave it already. Shave the damn thing off!
If I'm not paying attention, I may find that I've dressed myself like an army man: green wool pants, brown sweater, green wool field shirt. Combine this with my long hair and raging beard, and you might think I bear a stricking resemblence to an anti-American dictator, just like what happened last Halloween.
Well, last night I was paying attention to what I was wearing, but I ended up at Church Street Bar in Amherst, OH dressed like a dictator once again. I'd been out doing yard work with my dad the previous afternoon, and I went right from there to David's band practice, then straight to the bar.
So, there I am playing pool with the new boys (David, Adam and Josh) when I look up at the bar and there's this couple (man and woman) who are all giggling and looking at me. And, they call me over and the girl says, "You're not from around here are you?" And I tell them, "I am from around here. I live in Lorain." And they're all like, "Well, you look like an Arab. We hate Arabs because they hate America." And I'm looking at them like, "OK...?" So, they kept right on telling me how much of a bad guy Sadaam Housein was and isn't it good riddence that he's dead. So I'm like, "Well, I'm not an Arab. I'm Puerto Rican and white." And the girl is all like, "Doesn't it bother you that you look like Sadaam Housein?" So I look her in the eye and say, "Nope it doesn't bother me. But it seems to bother you."
By this time I was feeling pretty heated, like angry. You two want to fight me over it? I mean, what are you trying to prove by telling me I look like Sadaam Housein? And who are you proving it to? And why do you even hate him so much? Sadaam Housein didn't fly two planes into the Towers, and he didn't have WMD's aimed at America. "And like you said," and I'm still looking her in the eyes, "Sadaam Housein is dead."
"Yeah, really dead. We hate Arabs."
Really dead? Oh, you're just drunk. And, I'm not Arab, I told you that already.
"And I've got some friends who are Arab. And they're good people." And I knew that wouldn't make any difference to them. And it didn't. They went right on their way talking like they didn't even hear me. So I'm like, well if you're not even listening to me, if you're not even having a conversation with me, if you're not even considering my opinion and if you're stuck in your ignorant beliefs like a broken record spinning the same grooves over and over, and if this is really all you got to say to me, then I got better things to do. Like a pool game with the boys. And I ain't got time for you to bring me down.
So, "I don't want to talk to you anymore. You're making me uncomfortable." And that was the truth. I went back to my game and the kareokee that was just starting up. And for a while I kept thinking about them still sitting at the bar, egging each other on about hot bad Arabs are and how that guy really looks like one (and what does that mean anyways). But, then I was like, "I don't even give a f*** about those two. I'm here to sing a song and meet some new people." And I did.
It was cool to hang out with the people at Church Street. Everyone else was real nice and friendly, and I had a great time. And the gang goes back every Thursday, so that's sweet.
Oh Athens friends, you're so far away, but still on my mind! I feel a bit out of place here in old L-town. Maybe once I shave my beard I'll fit in a bit more.
Well, last night I was paying attention to what I was wearing, but I ended up at Church Street Bar in Amherst, OH dressed like a dictator once again. I'd been out doing yard work with my dad the previous afternoon, and I went right from there to David's band practice, then straight to the bar.
So, there I am playing pool with the new boys (David, Adam and Josh) when I look up at the bar and there's this couple (man and woman) who are all giggling and looking at me. And, they call me over and the girl says, "You're not from around here are you?" And I tell them, "I am from around here. I live in Lorain." And they're all like, "Well, you look like an Arab. We hate Arabs because they hate America." And I'm looking at them like, "OK...?" So, they kept right on telling me how much of a bad guy Sadaam Housein was and isn't it good riddence that he's dead. So I'm like, "Well, I'm not an Arab. I'm Puerto Rican and white." And the girl is all like, "Doesn't it bother you that you look like Sadaam Housein?" So I look her in the eye and say, "Nope it doesn't bother me. But it seems to bother you."
By this time I was feeling pretty heated, like angry. You two want to fight me over it? I mean, what are you trying to prove by telling me I look like Sadaam Housein? And who are you proving it to? And why do you even hate him so much? Sadaam Housein didn't fly two planes into the Towers, and he didn't have WMD's aimed at America. "And like you said," and I'm still looking her in the eyes, "Sadaam Housein is dead."
"Yeah, really dead. We hate Arabs."
Really dead? Oh, you're just drunk. And, I'm not Arab, I told you that already.
"And I've got some friends who are Arab. And they're good people." And I knew that wouldn't make any difference to them. And it didn't. They went right on their way talking like they didn't even hear me. So I'm like, well if you're not even listening to me, if you're not even having a conversation with me, if you're not even considering my opinion and if you're stuck in your ignorant beliefs like a broken record spinning the same grooves over and over, and if this is really all you got to say to me, then I got better things to do. Like a pool game with the boys. And I ain't got time for you to bring me down.
So, "I don't want to talk to you anymore. You're making me uncomfortable." And that was the truth. I went back to my game and the kareokee that was just starting up. And for a while I kept thinking about them still sitting at the bar, egging each other on about hot bad Arabs are and how that guy really looks like one (and what does that mean anyways). But, then I was like, "I don't even give a f*** about those two. I'm here to sing a song and meet some new people." And I did.
It was cool to hang out with the people at Church Street. Everyone else was real nice and friendly, and I had a great time. And the gang goes back every Thursday, so that's sweet.
Oh Athens friends, you're so far away, but still on my mind! I feel a bit out of place here in old L-town. Maybe once I shave my beard I'll fit in a bit more.
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