I don’t even really know how to start this encounter. Perhaps I didn’t make the wisest decision walking home from Wonderland at 1:32 in the morning. At any rate I had made it most of the way home until I was just a few short blocks from home. I see a guy urinating on a tree. I’m not happy but whatever it is late and I just want to get home. Well, as he finishes up he waves to the car he is near and three guys step out. At this point I am just approaching him and I start to get a little nervous. He looks me in the eye and says “how you doin’ man?” (He is Latino and it was heavily accented. This comment will make sense in a little bit.) I respond I’m alright. Now let me just add an aside here. I think I have perfected the late night walk. I don’t walk too fast and I don’t walk too slow. I don’t keep my head down but I don’t stare people in the face either. I try and portray a fairly confident fellow. Ok, back to the story. After I respond that I am fine he says “alright, man. White power!”. Now, I am not drunk at this point but I was a little buzzed. After he said White Power, every single hair on body stood on end. Holy shit, I’m thinking, White power, what the hell does that mean? Why would anyone say that? And why would a Latino person say that? So I take a few more steps hoping that I don’t get my skull smashed open in a few seconds. I can feel them all right behind me. So like Carl Lewis in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics I sprint like no mere mortal has sprinted before. I mean I was flying. I’m a pretty fast guy anyway but I think this display would have impressed most Big Ten coaches. I can only conclude that it so startled them that they didn’t have the time to decide to chase me down. I sprinted about four blocks before I turned around and thankfully didn’t see them. I made it home, poured myself a shot of Powers Irish whiskey and thanked my lucky stars. So please someone explain this encounter to me. Why did the guy say white power to me? Secondly, how come they didn’t chase me down? Am I totally overreacting?
