OK, one of my favorite things to do is people watch! If I am at a restaurant, out shopping, at work, at a party, anywhere there are people then you can bet that I will be watching. That sounds a little stalkerish but I promise I am not a creeper! However, I have noticed a few times that I will be staring at someone or a group of people and then get caught - awkward! What's really bad is when it takes a few seconds for me to realize that I have been caught. That is usually when someone gets up and moves, walks a little faster, or grabs their children. It is all innocent, I promise, but I just find it both fascinating and hilarious to watch other people.
My morning routine has changed somewhat and I now spend about an hour at Panera Bread (love that place!) before going to work. It does require getting up earlier and I have become a coffee addict but I use the time to write and possibly do some people watching. My mind does seem to take it a step further than just staring. Just yesterday I noticed a father and his two children enjoying a nice breakfast together. In my mind I thought about how great this dad was to get the kids out of the house in order to give their mom a much deserved chance to sleep in. I also thought about how horrified the mom would be if she saw her kids right then because they were having the time of their lives running around and the little girl's hair had obviously not been brushed before leaving the house! I watched another guy sitting at a table, obviously waiting to meet someone that he had not met before - maybe a job interview? He stared at me when I walked in (how creepy) but then realized I was not the person. He even asked another person that walked in if they were "John" and they said no. Finally, "John" walked in and they began their interview for what I imagined to be a great job. What if I had said - yes, I am John. I might have gotten the job and begun a completely different life! Until he discovered that I was not really John and then it would have become really awkward.
I believe that people watching helps to satisfy a curiosity about life that I have. Some have said that I am just too nosy, but I prefer to use the word curious. (OK, I just had a debate with myself on whether it is spelled nosy or nosey. According to the dictionary, both are acceptable, but nosy is the most common spelling. I am a stickler for correct spelling so I would hate to be called out on such a word!) Anyway, I am a very curious person. I always wonder what someone's story is. I remember a particular Oprah show a few years ago that stressed what Oprah believes and I would agree- that everyone has a story. She threw a dart at a board which had the seating arrangement for the entire studio audience on it. Wherever the dart landed, she would do a show on that person showcasing their life and story. It turned out to be such an interesting story of a random audience member. (Of course I wanted that audience member to be me, but that's beside the point). And anyone who loves Kathie Lee and Hoda knows the irritating song - Everyone Has A Story - that Kathie Lee sings. They also tell the story of someone who has been through something horrible but came through it a much better person. Although the song drives me crazy, the idea is great!
This all leads me to my final point. One of my goals this year is to tell other people's stories in the hope that we can learn from them, be encouraged by their life, and broaden our view of the world. Beginning next month, I plan to start "interviewing" various people - it might be a family member, a friend, a reader of my blog, or maybe a random stranger and ask them what their story is. It would be great for me to hear from others and I am sure you wouldn't mind hearing about someone else's life besides mine (don't get too excited).
The next time you are out at a public setting, take some time to do some people watching. Just don't stare too long. You probably should not observe me people watching because I tend to come across more as a stalker. You have to be discreet about it. I will say it is a lot of fun and you never know what you might learn from it.
Tomorrow is our first give-a-way! Make sure and check back to see who will receive a Targer gift card!!!
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