Fizzling Neurons and Wide-Brimmed Hats

I was out and about today, going along my merry way when I happened to see a man.  He was standing maybe 40 feet from where I was.  He was tall and thin. He was wearing a dark grey (or maybe it was black) dress coat that went below his knees.  He had a hat on.  The hat was also black and had a wide, flat brim that went all the way around.

He was facing away from me, with his back toward me.  I didn't think much of him.  I noticed him, how tall he was.  How distinguished he looked. Here in South Cakalacky, there are a lot more flip flops and sunglasses than there are wide-brimmed hats with long dark coats on distinctively dressed gentlemen.

When he turned toward me, my neurons fizzled.  There he was, now looking at me.  A tall, thin, distinctive looking gentleman.  He was impeccably groomed.

And, he was black.

Ok, so that in and of itself is not unusual here in South Cakalacky. What is unusual was what made my neurons fizzle was that, unconsciously, without any active thought or really even anything that could be called consideration, I just assumed he was an Hasidic Jew.

What would make me think that?  I haven't lived around an Hasidic Jewish community for more than ten years, and even when I did live around them, it wasn't like they were some active part of my life.  I mean, I'd see them around and even did a small amount of business with them, but for some reason, my brain thought "Hasidic Jew", when it clearly would have made more sense to think "Elegant guy in a wide brimmed hat with a long coat".

Isn't it interesting how your neurons fizzle?