Pre-People Watching?

How many people in your life have told you, "I love people watching.  It's the best."  A lot, right?  I mean, I can't go days without someone voicing that silly cliche while sitting at a bar, train stop, school library, or airport.  The whole idea of watching some dweeb spill coffee all over their crotch, witnessing a mother actually use one of those child leashes, walking on to a purposal, or any other random scenario that happens every day is an idea that covers the entire spectrum of human emotion.  We feel humored, we feel pained, we feel sympathetic, and, more importantly and more times than not, we imagine and feel ourselves in the same exact situation.  However, how do we feel when people are "people watching" us?

*Play "Twighlight Zone" music in head*

For the most part we don't even recognize it happening.  Hell, there is probably some creepy middle-aged man sitting behind me right now watching what I'm doing.  For those scoring at home: I'm drinking a Coors Light (soft), writing this rambling post, and ocassionally checking the TV at this airport bar.  Pretty normal, right?  Right.  If I were to see someone looking at me right now I would most likely give them the What the fuck are you looking at look and continue with my evening.  The creepy middle-aged guy would be "Pre-People Watching."   

BUT, say my Coors Light slips from my hand, crashes onto the floor, and (for the hell of it) I start crying it automatically becomes one of the greatest "People Watching" sightings of all time.  This weird older guy is going to tell his wife, who is going to have him re-tell it at dinner - inadvertantly telling the whole story for him - and I become an asshole without even knowing.  Trust me, whether we're the story teller, having the story told to us, or the subject of the story, we've all been here.  When the perfect moment of emotion happens, "People Watching" is one of the coolest activities you can pick up when killing time at, oh I don't know, San Jose Airport.

So, what's my point?  Don't be the creepy middle-aged guy who has no story to tell his wife.  In fact, don't be the creepy old guy who probably doesn't have a wife.  Alright, I'm off point... What I mean is, don't sit and stare at various people in a public setting waiting, hoping, praying for some story to unfold.  Yeah, you might catch a goofy outfit or two, but no one wants you sitting at a train stop looking people up and down.  You don't want that for you.  A few glances here and there are fantastic.  When something hilarious like me spilling my Coors Light everywhere happens, a glance will do just fine. 

Any way, have a wonderful weekend and, as always, play at least one Prince song.