How many of us admit to people watching?  You know, when you are waiting for a table, or standing in line behind someone, or simply taking a break on a park bench watching the world pass by.  Sometimes I catch myself thinking about the people I don't know.  The strangers I never meet or hardly come in contact if at all.

A few days ago I was in a line at Costco.  I was standing behind a woman in her middle to late thirties she appeared.  I never spoke to her, I never gave her any idea I was people watching her.  She was dressed as if she wanted people to notice her style because her looks seemed to have been fading.  Doubtless she was a more desirable woman at one time. And I wasn't looking at her thinking she was a has been.  I merely got the idea she had a look of being worn out by years of marriage.  She had on a wedding band and a face that seemed to say, "my life is average" and I thought to myself wanting to say aloud, "Be happy you are married."  Because it's always when you lose something you took for granted that you understand it better.  And that is people watching.  You see someone and you have a train of thought that runs through your mind.  You draw conclusions that are most likely way off the mark, but sometimes you could be entirely correct in how you size up strangers personalities or feelings. 

The other day I spent an entire day in a line.  Imagine the longest line at an amusement park then times it by ten, and then think of if as not moving at all.  I had a lot of time!  I spent a lot of time in my mind people watching, listening to others conversations and interactions.   At one point we entered a building and later a room with hundreds up on hundreds of people in it.  There was a microphone in the corner of the room for people running the operation to address everyone in line.  But every ten minutes someone would get out of line and go use that microphone to talk to everyone in line.  One guy got up and said, "Does anyone need a B101 fix?"  What he meant was that B101 is an easy listening radio station and he was about to sing to us.  He began...."Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..."  The crowd began to boo and heckle.  But the fact was he actually sounded good.  He wasn't just some jack ass trying to be cute or impress folks.  It was apparent he really was just trying to ease the monotony of every-ones wait.  To his credit he sang the whole song.  I was looking about, watching the people that were being rude.  Appalled that folks couldn't just let the man sing and take in the moment of kindness.  After all, as silly as his introduction was, he was sincere and he was not being ostentatious.  I imagined what kind of parents or family or job these people had that they had become so jaded and cruel.   It would have been one thing if everyone just said something and let him sing, but sprinkled from throughout the crowd the verbal jabs kept coming.   Finally at the end, some applause.   I decided I had to applaud too, for the simple reason that he had his heart in the right place.  He then said with no malice... "OK, now all you people that booed don't you feel bad?"  A few more inane comments popped out of the crowd and it all came to a merciless end.

I was people watched myself recently.  After coming off stage and standing with friends a woman comes to me and says, "You are the most confident man I ever seen."  I asked her, "How did you come to this conclusion?"  "I watched you on stage, and here.  Everyone notices you."  She then walked away.  I didn't follow her.  About five minutes later she came back.  "I was right."  I looked at her and asked, "How do you know?"  She laughed, "You didn't come after me."  I then answered, "Sorry to break your bubble, but I couldn't follow you.  But thanks for noticing me."

Sometimes perspective is everything.  Last week I was sitting on my butt against the wall outside a Wholefoods store in Washington Square in Manhattan.  It was dusk.  People darted by, some stood idle, others wandered what seemed aimless.  In each face I saw evidence of what they wanted.  Some needed someone else.  Some were rushed, others were taking it in, just like myself.  Fast and slow paced mixed with idle motionless faces painted with curiosity.   From my seat on the ground I was unnoticed and see right up into their eyes.  No one could hide what they really felt.   Two guys dressed for a night out seemed determined.  Two girls dressed to dance seemed impenetrable in their will to enjoy a girls night out where men would be toys in their hands to play with and cast aside as their freewill led them.  I young mother and father doted on their daughter whom walked in circles.  Only they found her cute while others only wanted to not step on her.   Only one young lady looked down at me and she seemed utterly confused to see a man on skates, sitting drinking an exotic tea.  Someone stepped in front of her and she vanished from there.  In the end, I noticed that not only was I unseen to everyone, but I had a remarkable view of everyone's emotional state as they passed me by. 

I realize as I have watched others, sometimes I've been watched.   My son often tells me that women are checking me out.  But of course he always tells me after we are in the car, miles away. LOL.  He will tease me to top it off.  "She was pretty too dad."  God I love that kid, he's learning my own smart ass humor.  I suppose that is the great thing about people watching.  You get to laugh at life.