Weird Guys, Surprise Mayonnaise, and First Impressions

learning to slow down with assumptions

“Nooo!”

Shove. Push. Dunk.

My head pops back through the water, breaking the surface with a whoosh.
Before I can clear my eyes of the chlorine water and who-knows-what-else, I feel a tap on my shoulder.

I spin around to find myself staring into the hazel-brown eyes of a nice-looking guy slightly¹ taller than me. “Do you eat mayonnaise sandwiches?”

Blame it on the chlorine, (according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, “concentrations of chlorine”…can lead to “memory loss [and] slow reaction time.”) But for the life of me, I can not articulate a single cognitive answer. No matter how hard I try, all I manage is a weak, “huh?” before swimming toward my friends.

“Did you hear what that guy’s question?”, I ask my friends.

“That’s so weird,” one of them comments before we all dissolve into fits of laughter. Poor guy. He’s now been dubbed as the “weird one”.

I ended up changing my mind about him, though.

You see, as we continued playing in the pool, he and I both ended up in a game of one-side-throws-the-ball-to-the-other-side-to-see-who-can-intercept-it.

(You haven’t heard of it? *shock*)

During one of the high-energy plays, we both leaped for the ball.
He came down first which meant I, well, came down on top of him, my elbow in his face. Not a pretty landing, to say the least.

I relocated as quickly as possible, saying sorry perhaps a dozen² times. Maybe it was because there were several rude people there, but I was half-expecting him to start swearing or… actually I don’t know what I was expecting, but whatever it was—it was not good.

Instead, I heard, “It’s cool, it’s cool. You’re good, ma’am.”

I don’t know if it’s my Texas blood or the fact I’m still a teenager, but it always warms my heart when people call me “ma’am”. It makes me feel respected. Valued. But at the same time, it’s just a word. Go figure.

*Announcer Voice* “Your deep philosophical thoughts have come to an end. Back to the story.”

As we continued playing, I realized he was the nicest guy there.

When my young friend wanted the ball, but because of his height continued to be outplayed by his larger opponents, the “weird” guy intercepted the ball and gave it to him multiple times.

My friends and I left that pool talking about how kind that young man was. I still don’t know why he asked me about the mayonnaise sandwiches, but in my mind, he’s no longer the “weird” guy.

He’s the one who looked out for the weaker. The smaller.

He’s the one who spoke kindly and respectfully to those around him.

He’s the one who reminded me that first impressions are not necessarily trustworthy. That we should always give people the benefit of the doubt.

And yes, if you’re reading this man, I do eat mayonnaise sandwiches.

1. A lot taller

2. Okay, okay, maybe not quite that many