News-Record.com

A friend and I were in Starbucks on Battleground this afternoon, and while we waited for his drink I was eyeing the New York Times. The design of it is not particularly pretty, so my eye went from the gray mass that is the front page to the Arts section that was sticking out above it. There was, quite clearly, the bald top of a man's head under the section header.

Holding out the paper, I walk over to my friend and say, "Quick, place your bets as to whose bald head this is." I'm thinking, the ubiquitous (to my chagrin) Triad native Chris Daughtry? Daddy Warbucks, maybe?

A voice beside me pipes up: "Be careful; that's a sensitive subject!"

I look over to find a Guilford County sheriff's deputy with a rather shiny pate of his own grinning at me. I quickly try to backpedal. Pointing to the photo, I say, "I assure you, sir, I was talking about this bald head!" He razzed me back -- I was too busy trying to squirm my way out of it to remember what he said -- and I said something about trying never to insult a man who probably has a weapon.

He said, "Yeah, I have several," and laughed as he moved toward the counter for, I think, some cinnamon for his coffee.

How endearing is it that:
a) he would randomly joke with a stranger about his own lack of a full head of hair, and
b) he would talk about his multiple weapons while getting foofy condiments for his coffee?!?

I didn't see the name on his uniform, but thanks, Anonymous Officer, for making my day -- and that of my friend, who got to laugh at my faux pas! I have to admit, when he followed us out of the coffeeshop, I was pretty convinced I was going to get the cuffs thrown on me, but he kindly did not arrest me. Instead, he got in his unmarked car and went on his way, and I got a good lesson in checking the perimeter before I open my big mouth!