By Steve Jagler Special to OnMilwaukee.com Published Jul 19, 2013 at 12:01 PM
Steve Jagler is executive editor of BizTimes.

I experienced a rather surreal moment Thursday afternoon, and I feel compelled to share it as food for thought.

I had just finished a productive business meeting with a friend at the Bella Café in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, one of the city’s more upscale neighborhoods. I began the four-block walk back to our office through the steamy, tropical Wisconsin summer air.

As I turned the next corner, I realized I was approaching a young African American fellow, maybe 17 years old or so. He was talking on a cell phone and eating a bag of chips. He was tall and lanky.

As I walked by him, our eyes met. I nodded. He nodded back. I kept walking back to the office. He stayed on the sidewalk and continued his phone conversation.

I did not ask him what he was doing in the neighborhood. I did not follow him around. I did not presume he was a "punk." I did not call the police. And I was not carrying a handgun.

We both went our separate ways. There was no confrontation. No one had to stand his ground. And no one got hurt.

I suspect moments like this happen routinely every day in cities throughout America. But they may never be routine again.

Steve Jagler Special to OnMilwaukee.com

Steve Jagler is executive editor of BizTimes in Milwaukee and is past president of the Milwaukee Press Club. BizTimes provides news and operational insight for the owners and managers of privately held companies throughout southeastern Wisconsin.

Steve has won several journalism awards as a reporter, a columnist and an editor. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

When he is not pursuing the news, Steve enjoys spending time with his wife, Kristi, and their two sons, Justin and James. Steve can be reached at steve.jagler@biztimes.com.