Watching People

Have you ever been in a public place, not focused on anything in particular and found yourself watching people? When I say watching, I mean observing. People can be fascinating to watch, their body language, their mannerisms, and nervous behavior can make for interesting viewing. I enjoy sitting at a corner table in a restaurant, sipping coffee and either reading or writing, or even a combination of both. I don’t mind being alone in a public place, because you become anonymous, sitting in a corner with your back to the wall facing everyone else. It can be relaxing at times, too; sort of like stopping to smell the roses.

Years ago, I had an opportunity to observe an older gentleman and his interesting, yet amusing reaction to a young family sitting in his booth. I had stopped one day at a fast food restaurant for lunch with my friend on our way back from Quebec City several years back. Had I been focused on other things, I probably would have never noticed this simple example of human behavior.

My friend had offered to stay at the counter for our food, so I went to choose a seat. The restaurant was organized similarly to the McDonald’s or Burger King arrangement, with one end of the building for the kitchen and restrooms and the other end for the dining area. In this particular restaurant, there were booths lined along the perimeter of the building with window views of the entrance and exit of the parking lot and the street traffic. Then there were two islands of booths, rows of them on either side of half-walls to provide some privacy. I had chosen one end of an island booth, but facing the rest of the restaurant with my back to the kitchen area.

There were several other people scattered in different directions enjoying their burgers or chicken. Some sat near the wall away from everyone, others placed themselves in the middle of the restaurant, and still others sat near the windows to watch the traffic. It was a beautiful summer day, and the warming sun streamed in through the windows that lined the exit of the parking lot. It was such a warm day that the air conditioner was having trouble keeping the place cool.

While waiting for my friend, I noticed an older man walk into the dining area carrying a tray. From what I could see, he had a small coffee, or tea, and a sandwich and fries. He wore a wide-brimmed hat that looked well worn, a red and white cotton, buttoned-down checkered shirt, and a pair of brown, polyester shorts that went to his knees. He had on sandals and brown socks that were slightly darker than the shorts, and a small gray windbreaker slung over his arm. His hair was shoulder length, peaking out from beneath the rim of his brown hat, and his face looked like he had missed his morning shave for several days.

Considering that I’ve never met this man before, I immediately realized that something was wrong. He began walking down the aisle heading for his destination, but then something caught his eye and he hesitated. It was so obvious that you would have had to be blind to not notice. Had I not been already watching him, I would have taken notice. It was that blunt. He continued walking and sat at a booth to my left, almost in the corner of the room, facing me. He kept turning his head, looking to my right. His feet began shuffling nervously and he kept wringing his hands. I followed his gaze and discovered that he was looking at a young couple with their little boy sitting in a high chair.

My friend arrived with our food and I pointed out the old man and whom he was staring at. We contemplated for a few minutes what the problem could be. We discussed several possibilities. The more I observed this man, the more I realized what the problem probably was. That young family was sitting in his seat. With the wringing of his hands, and the constant shuffling of his feet, as well as him nervously looking over their way, it was clear to me that he wasn’t going to be comfortable until he was able to sit in that booth. He hadn’t even started eating or drinking his coffee or tea; he was that uncomfortable.

After a while of this, I noticed the mother cleaning up their little boy, who was probably about a year and a half, and head over to the restrooms while the father cleaned up their area. Seeing that they were getting ready to leave, the old man slowly got up from his booth, keeping a constant eye on the young dad, and slowly picked up his windbreaker and tray and began to walk over. I was in suspense and had to put down my sandwich just to watch. The old man strolled over and began talking to the dad. I couldn’t hear what they were saying because they weren’t speaking loudly, but the old man began to sit down where the mother had been sitting and placed his tray on the table. Minutes later, the mother arrived with her son, and the couple proceeded to gather their things and left.

When people are out of their routine, their comfort zone, they behave in strange ways. They tend to show their awkwardness in ways that they don’t realize. Body language can sometimes speak louder than words. What I found humorous about this situation was not necessarily how uncomfortable this man behaved when he wasn’t able to sit in his booth, but how normal and nonchalant he became the minute he could. His feet stopped moving. He calmly looked around the restaurant and out the window at the traffic, and began to enjoy his coffee and meal.

This situation made me think about how I behave when I’m placed outside my comfort zone, or when my routine is disrupted. When this happens, I become frustrated and antsy, and very impatient. I wring my hands, bounce my leg up and down on my toes, or start fussing with my hair. I’m sure there are other outward signs I show that I don’t even realize. How do you behave when you’re in that situation? Something to think about.