Sunday, November 14, 2010

Confessions of a people watcher.


I watch people. Everywhere. We went to get ice cream yesterday and I was enthralled.
I watched, curiously, as four teenagers bought ice cream and sat down.
I studied the three girls in cheer sweats filling their cups.
I commented on the family that walked in.

Harli and Will thought it was funny. They think I'm odd, with my wild obsession with people. But aren't people thrilling for you? Or is it just me? Take, for example, the four teenagers. I eventually concluded they were on an awkward first date. The girls had done their hair and makeup; the boys looking freshly showered and slightly nervous... There's so much to wonder about! There was the girl in the shirt made of material that looked exactly like Minnie Mouse's dress. Do you think her parents love each other? Do you think she loves her parents? Do you think she likes the boy she was with? Where did she get that top? Did she steal it from Minnie? Do you think she'd lend that top to me? What about the boy she was with? Does he like books? Does he like her? What does he think of her shirt? As most people know, I live happily in my own little world. And most of that world is positively consumed with watching and wondering. I'm curious. I want to walk up and ask. I want to know these people personally. I want to walk up and say, "Do your parents love each other? Do you love her parents? Would you lend me that top?" But, of course, everyone would think, "Creepist!!" And the police would probably come and steal me away after the girl in the Minnie Mouse shirt filled a restraining order against me. I did - for the most part - spend the ice cream excursion encircled in social norm and general formality to strangers.

But, on my way out the door, we passed the four awkward-first-daters. They were clapping like Dumbledore. And I positively could not resist a single moment longer. I leaned into the table - wearing my rainboots and my favorite sweater and bright red lipstick, saying, "I like Dumbledore, too." I bit my tongue before asking to borrow her Minnie Mouse top.

Learn to say, "I love you" more often.
All my love, Addy.

5 comments:

Sarabeth; said...

soooooooo pretty much this post is my favorite ever.
you see, i find people quite thrilling as well and i tend to watch people and they mistake it for creepiness and weird.
i'm just curious. i like to watch people it's my favorite. i like to make stories up in my head of what their life is like sometimes. i only wish i had to guts to go and talk to them even if it were just to say "i like dumbledore, too."

KAIT LINDLEY said...

One day, I went to the pool with my friend.
But it was kind of boring.
So we picked out certain people, and then took turns making up their life story.
Where they came from, who they are, what keeps them up at night...
Though we were positively incorrect, it is a really intriguing game.
I bet you'd like it :)

McKenzie said...

oh i too love to people watch, and i totally put together their entire life. my favorite place to people watch is in the airport. where are they going? are they going or are they coming? why? where? and the list goes on forever. in the end i then have entire history and future played out in my head.

laura elizabeth said...

i love watching people! didn't i tell you, sometime when we go to the mall, we'll sit on a bench with our ice cream and/or pretzels and watch people and wonder?

Anonymous said...

Addy,
as i think of the things i could write about this i think about the fact of intellectualism. i see you, writing about things that we think about, putting into words the synonymous feelings that we all have. your words are paired beautifully, they flow as if they weren't ever not together, as i saw this I'm caught thinking, thinking about what beautiful things they are, people