ballin'

Last weekend, I was driving in my car and I make brief eye contact with the red mini-van beside me. It was just a split second and I don't think I retained any knowledge about the male driver.

I come to stop at an intersection and I can feel the presence of the van trying to get my attention. The young hispanic driver wants me to roll down my window to talk. Oh brother! He is with several of his friends. I am not sure what the intent of this conversation is going to be about. I don't think I cut him off or anything like that. You know, people usually aren't chatty from a car to car basis at intersections. My defenses were up.

So my window went down and I got asked a series of questions that left me baffled and I don't know if I can recall what went down because I am not fluent in a latino ghetto slang form of speech. And I think the driver was aware that I wouldn't understand him as he asked me if I knew what _______ means?

The first question after I rolled down my window was "have you ever heard of Mafia 13?" I think that is what he said. Or did he say MS-13?? I have heard of MS-13 on NPR - the most dangerous and violent street gang in the world. Act dumb but cool, I don't what to acknowledge anything about gangs. "No."

Next, followed a couple more questions about things that I never heard of that I answered "no." I am starting to feel a bit more relaxed as I take in the surroundings. I mean these guys are driving a mini-van, so they are probably in highschool and it's their mom's.

"Do you know what ballin' means?" I have an idea, but I'm not going to guess in front of them, so I say "no."

"It's like when your really into something or..." blah, blah, blah. It means that something is cool. Is this guy messing with me? "hey lets have fun with the 30 year old white guy."

But then he says "Your shades are really ballin'. I bet the girls are really into you."

And I say "yes, I have always been real good with the ladies." Nah, I'm joking - I didn't say that. I said "Oh, I don't know about that. I married, so I got one girl whose really into me."

Was he playing (playin') me. I play that game sometimes - the one where you pump up someones ego, because you know you are going to get unrealisticly funny results. Anyway, I played it cool and our brief but weird conversation ended with laughs and smiles.