I find myself watching people. All the time I watch people, try and read their body language, try and eavesdrop. Listen to their stories, even if they're silent or talking to someone else but me.
I love seeing people. I love the uncertainty of who the unknown person in front of me is. Sometimes I seek eye contact. Smile at them. Sometimes I get a smile back. Other times they avoid my gaze or pretend they haven't seen me at all.
The other day I saw someone take this "seeing people" to a whole new level:
I stood in a shop trying to decide wether or not I should get an orange juice, a diet coke or simply a bottle of water. I really couldn't make my mind up, and so I stood there and opened and closed the fridge door over and over again. (Yes, this I do every now and again when shopping. Some might call me indecisive). Suddenly I got aware of someone behind me, someone who wanted to get something in the fridge and wanted me to get out of the way.
I turned around. An old, rather scruffy looking man stood behind me. It was obvious, judging from his appearance, that this man was very ill (mentally) and I apologized for standing in his way, stepped aside and let him reach for his milk. I smiled at the man, who looked away, then sternly into the floor and then nearly ran away from me.
And so I ended up behind him in the queue to the till. The shop assistant smiled at him. She asked him the usual "anything else?" and then chitchatted about the weather. The old man's posture changed. He relaxed, smiled and said "why, I'll have a hotdog as well I think". She asked him to sit down at a table, quickly took my money and then served him his hotdog. And sat down next to him. Introduced herself. Shook his hand and started telling him about her trip to Rome over the weekend. And he smiled.
I loved it. I loved the way the shop assistant took time to acknowledge the old man, and how he responded to it all. And as I walked out of the shop a woman, who had been behind me in the queue, whispered to me "isn't that the most wonderful thing you've ever seen?!" Well, perhaps not, but god damn close.
Oh yes, and I ended up buying a orange squash. In case anyone wondered.
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