Showing posts with label people watching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label people watching. Show all posts

Thursday, June 4, 2009

The mysterious workings of the world

I stuff envelopes in my mom's office sometimes. Today was one of those times. And while I was doing that, I noticed some addresses that I routinely walk by on my nice walks around the city. So, of course, the next time I walk by these, I'm gonna be like, hey, I sent you that memo from my mom's office. You are a part of that organization. Cool.
But the people inside that house are totally not going to notice. Sure, they might see a vaguely sweaty female strolling by their house and kinda peering at it, but they'll be used to it, since they're in a nice neighborhood and all. They will not realize that I work at the office of that one of many organizations they subscribe to, and that I actually know them, because in their world, I don't exist.
I know I have said something like this before, but the subject completely fascinates me.
(Plus I am on a roll, but that's beside the point.)
My momentary fangirliness over Jason Mraz kind of reminded me of all this. Because here I am, with a blog based on the fundamental concepts of one of his songs, practically worshipping his sage advice, and he doesn't even know. Because he doesn't know who I am, this person with a whole army of words that she lets out every now and then. He leads a completely different life, doing one of the coolest things out there (inspiring people with what inspires him and just sharing his gift with the world), while I can only dream to do so and am at the training stage to the marathon he's won.
So fascinating.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Individual lives = individual worlds

It's kind of funny that the word "individual" literally means "one who cannot be divided".
Which is probably why we like to use the word "human" more. Or "person".
Anyway.
A few years ago, I took to people watching.
Everyone always asks, "How is people watching different from just walking by people everyday and sort of staring at them to creep them out?"
The difference is that you acknowledge that each person you pass by is an individual with their own story, their own life, their own world, really.
My favorite people-watching story just happened last Friday.
I was walking to a nearby elementary school like I do every Friday to just kind of hang out with the kids as charity work when I saw this dude angrily throwing backpacks and stuff out of his car and onto the sidewalk. The car wasn't moving, it was parked, but he was definitely pissed.
Most people would walk by this guy thinking something along the lines of these:
"Okay, really? He needs to not get mad on the street."
"Dude, seriously. I almost stepped on your backpack. Watch it."
"It's finally sunny out! Why so pissy?"
"Someone's constipated...!"
But I envisioned myself in his shoes.
I noticed the woman walking out of the house behind him and into her way-fancier-than-his car give him a dirty look.
And I thought, man, this guy for sure just got dumped. He probably wasn't all that well-off, and now the girl's gotten tired of him and realizes what a good-for-nothing he is (or so she thinks) and wants him out. So he's now pissily unloading his things/loading them in and just not able to do it right because he has to go build his life all over again.
And then I come back into my own reality.
And I think, dang, I am just SO lucky to be listening happily to Ernie Halter on my iPod and able to walk the streets in a relaxed manner.
And I just get so creeped out by the fact that my life doesn't matter at all in his; that he doesn't even know I passed by randomly on the street that day and totally contemplated what his life's all about. Because his life is going on. And it does not include me at all.
Not that I didn't discover this after the first person I watched.
It's just that each feeling is its own; like wow, I just discovered a new world.
This guy just happened to be the most obvious how-can-you-not case, and yet I seemed to be the only one noticing. But the best part is that I don't even know that. There could have been some other girl or guy looking on from one of the windows in the numerous apartment buildings that were lined up all down the street or one of the houses. I don't know that. Because my life is completely detached from theirs.
I think everyone should people-watch; I think everyone should get that rude awakening of how the world really doesn't revolve around them, how it's all in perspective.
I mean, Copernicus realized that just because we're the ones who live on Earth doesn't mean that we're the main event or center of it all in the solar system.
It's about time that each person realizes that just because they live their life and see life through their eyes doesn't mean that they're the main event or center of it all in the grand scheme of life.