White Shoes and Black Gloves

I remember once, chatting with an old school litigator from a big firm, when we were on a break. And the topic came up that I was into mixed martial arts, training Muay Thai and whatever. And this old lion shared that he represented one of the most famous fighters in the all the land. 

Surprised, I asked him the only thing I could think to ask. "Is he a good guy?"

And what he said next stuck with me for the rest of my life. He thought for a moment, smiled, and said, "Oh, he's a sweetheart. But Alex, he is either the smartest man I have ever met, or the dumbest."

And I rolled.

What an answer.

I've asked a million questions in my life. Hope to ask a million more. And yet I've never heard an answer quite like it. And I don't think I ever will.

It spoke a lot of the old lion to give the guy the benefit of the doubt, kinda like we used to say crazy like a fox. Maybe there's a glimmer of shrewdness in someone's blank stare.

Or maybe, they just took too many to the golden dome.

To lions and foxes. Caged or free.