That homeless guy might be your dentist

I really enjoy meeting people whose appearance don't match their vocation. I was out walking this afternoon while my mind went through one of its usual spasms of thought, jumping from one idea to another like a monkey in the forest. Maybe even faster. One of those really small, furry, agile monkeys who jumps around and swings from vines, so fast that when they land on one tree their long, spindly fingers are already grasping a new vine, ready to move on to the next. You see how easily I can be sidetracked. Anyway, I was remembering the doctor at the walk-in clinic near our apartment and how if I saw her in passing right now, I would be more inclined to label her as a tattoo artist or a poli-sci PhD student. It's terrible that I label her in this way, but somewhere along the line we've all been hardwired with ideas of what certain people should look like (even though we're taught not to 'judge a book by its cover').

Sometimes I wonder what kind of assumptions people make about me. However, I don't think my "look" is distinctive enough in one way or another to elicit a strong upfront judgement. That is to say, I don't think people look at me and immediately think, "musician", or "is totally into vampires", or "will live at home until the age of 40". I think I still have the ability to surprise though. I think we all do. I like it when people surprise me - like when I think that the quiet girl who makes the perfect lattes at the coffee shop is one way, and then I see her at a concert flashing the band...and all of my preconceived ideas fly right out the window. I love that.