essential peoplewatching kit

of my mind. The Street felt rich with symbolism: The ‘ironic’ Salomon hiking shoes, the panicky late for my bus power-walk, a woman’s icy stride in front of her assumed partner suggesting that things are tense but not tense enough to cancel plans. Most people seemed to drift from bars, cafes, and restaurants in impenetrable groups. My third storey point-of-view gave me something close to invisibility. While it feels perfectly acceptable to stare at strangers, especially if they can’t see you, I found myself spotting multiple people I knew, and for some reason only then did I feel uncomfortable. Watching someone who you’d otherwise say hi to and make small talk with from your bedroom with COVID, all the while sweating profusely, is a position I’d only put myself in for the good of peoplewatching.

Pensive musings

When you watch birds and planes, they can’t look at you back, at least not in the same way a human being can. The social complexity and even the uncomfortability may very well be why people watching remains relatively unexplored.

Although we notice all these little things about a person when feel ashamed of it, but we cannot hide from this innately human trait. It seems tragically cliché, but watching people is also a way of watching yourself. If we question our biases, judgement, and critical thinking, it makes us feel challenged. People- watching with intention and not simply indulging feels less like reality TV and more like a thought-provoking documentary on the real Crown Street, hosted by Louis Theroux. I don’t expect everyone to go through all the tedious formalities, because I certainly didn’t. It’s not even that bad as a time-wasting activity. But just a bit of mindfulness makes the experience all the more wholesome. So go forth budding people-watchers and watch wholesomely!