'You've got the look."

A couple of recent incidents have stood out in mind.

The first occurred a couple of weeks, ago. Since it's gotten colder, I've tried to be more consistent about covering my bald head with a skull-cap. I really don't need to get sick. With my system, one illness leads to another, leads to another.

Well, as I got ready to leave work, the other day, I slapped on my leather coat and skully, then jumped on the elevator. When I stepped off of the elevator, I saw a couple of white women who also work in the building - one of whom has always been especially friendly, to me.

When that young lady saw me step off of that elevator, she looked like the devil himself had looked in her direction. She was still sporting the deer-in-headlights expression as I approached her, so I asked, "Did I startle you?"

"Yes. I didn't know who that was."

Up until that point, I didn't think much of her reaction, but saying she didn't know who I was was kind of odd. Not that I think she should recognize me, at a glance, in all manner of attire. I just mean that seeing an unfamiliar face shouldn't have mattered all that much since there are plenty of strangers who enter that building on a daily basis - some are dressed up and some are dressed down. Why would THIS particular "stranger" be the one to whom she'd react so ... strangely?

To be fair, one never knows what another person has gone through. Maybe she was attacked, at some point, by a Black man dressed in that manner. I will never know, but what I think she came down with was the Black-man-in-a-skull-cap Syndrome. There's something about that look. He must be up to no-good.

Kinda reminds me of some conversations from last year in which other white associates referred to the "thug caps" they claimed some Black males were wearing so they could look like gangstas. After they described them a bit more, I realized these people were talking about wave caps.

Then, just last night, my girlfriend and I visited a local hospital. When we got to the maternity ward, or whatever they're calling it these days, we were met with a hostile greeting - especially when the white security guard took a look at me.

On the way out of the building, my lady stopped by the restroom. While I was waiting on her, I took a look at the many staff photos lining the hallway. I heard another security guard call in some kind of code then look suspiciously in my direction, quickly breaking eye-contact as I turned toward him.

Obviously, this is my interpretation of these events. They may not have been as they appeared to be, to me. However, these types of responses occur with much greater frequency during the colder months - when I'm wearing skull caps to protect my head.

There's something about that look that puts certain people on-edge. That's unfortunate, since their reactions put US on-edge, creating a particularly negative catch-22.

I wonder how many other Black men experience this. I doubt I'm the only one.




EDIT: This also reminds me of something my uncle mentioned, this weekend, as we got ready to step out of my truck and enter a convenience store. We both put on our skull caps, at the same time, and, realizing this, my uncle said the clerks were probably thinking we were about to come rob them.

We laughed hard at that - partially because there may have been a little too much truth to it.