People Watching

Borderline Creepy. Yes I know, people watching could be considered a bit out there on the "ate paint chips as a toddler" side, but I assure you that it's a great way to tap into your creative juices. Listen, as long as you are not continuously watching the same person day in and day out (I think that's called stalking; ask your ex's lawyer) you are free to watch who you want. Are you feeling dull and claustrophobic? Feel like you're stuck in a rut? Ever wonder what happened to the TV show "The Nine" & why the Sopranos has sucked for the past 3 seasons? Well I feel you on the last two. But if you are just looking to get away from things by yourself here's a random suggestion. Throw on some comfortable clothes, take out your Ipod, and head down to the park, lake, beach, etc. Wherever there seems to be people and is a relaxed setting.

Find a bench, a spot under a tree, or a blanket in the sand and throw on the random song select of your music device. Press play and watch. Watch the sexy young woman walking her dog, or the fat guy with mustard on his guinea T slapping his chubby son on the back of the head. Watch the happily married old couple shuffle at 0.03 mph, holding hands and hoping to make it back before dark, or the middle aged couple being dragged by there 5 year old twins on a leash. Watch the hippies play with their hemp frisbee and the little Asian boy fly his kite. Watch the black kids practice there Step routines and the little white kids scream and throw tantrums at their parents. Listen to your favorite songs and you'll automatically make up stories about everyone you see. I swear if watching life to good tunes doesn't cheer you up, or at least make you feel a little bit better about yourself, seek help, you might be the next Unibomber.

There are levels to people watching as well. Soon you will create a specific playlist on your Ipod and customize your favorite people watching songs, such as "No Rain" from Blind Mellon. You will explore outside the realm of public recreational settings and move into Walmarts and Targets. This would be the intermediate level.

Truly advanced people watchers have been known to set up shop on the floor of the stock exchange, the post office, and waiting rooms outside the ER, listening to the likes of In Flames, Metallica, and the soundtrack to Platoon. I do not recommend this to beginners. This takes chameleon like skill and true depression.

Useless places to watch people: The library, Shop Rite, and Outback Steakhouse. There are also places that I would steer clear from people watching such as: public bathrooms, Chuck-E-Cheese's, court rooms, prisons, West Virginia, & funerals. Also make sure you are not focusing on your ex-wife, her new husband, and the kids that picked on you in high school. That's just creepy, and once again, you could wind up killing a lot of people one day, so check yourself into some place. Preferably in Arizona or Cuba.

But if you want to laugh at life, get away from things, spark your creativity, I suggest you try people watching. For a really good and unpredictable time, throw some funny mushrooms into the mix. Listen & create your own stories, just don't take pictures of us and touch yourself to them later.

From my mind to yours, Donz.