People Can Fool You Sometimes

On our recent camping trip to the Skyline Drive, we encountered quite a few bikers. In fact, I could almost say there were just as many motorcyclists as there were cars.

As it happens, people with a common interest often end up talking to each other about this and that. After loading the bike (and my lap) up with firewood and ice on Saturday afternoon, we met a young man and his girlfriend who were there for the weekend. They happened to be camping at the same place we were.

Later that evening, the young man (I’ll call him Mike) stopped by our campsite for a few beers. He was 27 years old, and lived and worked as a federal employee in D.C.

Oh, good Lord, I thought. Here’s this young guy, smart, engaging, and probably one of those goo-goo liberals in love with the Democratic agenda and all that hopey-changey stuff.

We ventured into some politics, and Mike told us he had been at the inauguration and how he thought it was an exciting cultural change in the political landscape. Oh boy, here we go, I thought.

We bandied about different political figures and he said,

“Actually, I supported Ron Paul.”

Wh-a-a-a-a-t? So did we ! Mike was quite involved in the Ron Paul movement from what I gather.

How dare he ! How dare he dash my preconceived notions and stereotyping assumptions ! How dare he throw me this curve ball and show me to my face how presumptuous it was of me to write him off so easily ! I said as much to him in so many words, and he replied.

“There’s more of us in D.C. than you would think.”

There is hope.