Walking past a house under construction on Virginia today:

Black construction guy: Excuse me! excuse me!
Me: ummm...yes? (fidgeting with my cell phone.)
guy: Can I give you a call on your cell phone sometime?
Me: (smiling in disbelief, because it's my back up mechanism when I'm wary.) Uhh...I don't think so. Sorry!
guy: You got yourself a man?
Me: (still smiling. stupidly.) Yeah!
guy: You happy?
Me: (Even stupider.) Yeah! Have a nice day...

and I walk away....

but! It is at this point that I have really decided to give this a good think. Because, as surprising as this may seem, this little occurance is not an anomaly. Quite the contrary, it is not uncommon for the same archetype of black man to approach me. Usually in his early-mid twenties, well built, often dressed tastefully (but not always, I suppose.) I've had them buy me bottled drinks at the gym, sit down and ask me what I'm reading about, and just approach me like this guy did. And I don't understand it at all. Other types of guys don't do this. I don't get, let's say, frat boys or Asian computer nerds. (And yes, I do realize that this blog does contain some gross generalizations and typifications...I assure you, I am not trying to be degrading. I am not making qualitative differentiations between types of men, just reflecting on the samples of my own personal experience that don't have to mean anything to anyone else.) But why always the same guy?!? Is it like the thing with honeybees that can see in ultraviolet light? Does the paleness of my skin shine out in glaring contrast to my surroundings in some 6th sense that only young black men can identify? Because I always think they must be teasing me! And that's terrible. My friend Nick has postualted that my peculiar situation could be used as some sort of psychological study. Until then, maybe I'll wait around for Denzel. Denzel could call me on my cell phone anytime.