I take pride in my ability to gage someone’s character or lack thereof, quickly. This afternoon, however, I was handed a dose of reality regarding my swift-assessment-capabilities. On our drive over to the community swimming pool for a little exercise and some Vitamin D, my wife and I drove past the home of a couple we occasionally chat with around the neighborhood and at the swimming pool. Hoisted on a flagpole in their front yard, waving in the breeze, was an unsightly vile, “Let’s Go Brandon” flag. In some way, I felt sadder for myself having misjudged the couple’s obvious lack of character and general stupidity. Don’t get me wrong, I never thought either of them were candidates for a think tank at M.I.T or membership in MENSA. If truth be told, the male counterpart in the relationship is pretty much a nincompoop, enamored with the sound of his own voice. Even so, I always thought the nincompoop’s wife had a decent sense of humor. For that reason, the measure of her mean-spirited nature, caught me off guard. In the end, I find their hateful flag-waving-behavior especially egregious, because presently we are witnessing the invasion of Ukraine by a brutal dictator who helped the previous failed President of the United States, (the flag-flying chucklehead’s party favorite) get elected. At the same time, I believe human beings can change and evolve; therefore, my wife and I are holding out hope that soon we’ll pass our neighbor’s home and view a notable flag lowering ceremony in their front yard.