One of the main pass times on a cruise ship, whether you admit it or not, is people watching. I started the week with a desire to observe & take in as much as possible. As time went on though I grew weary of people, as usual, & drifted off into thoughts & efforts that frankly, interested me more. Below are some of the notes I made at the beginning of this process.
My balcony over one of the hot tubs makes for a unique people watching experience. From the flirtatious playful young lovers trying to control their hormones long enough to get back to their room. To the older people who know no strangers, yet are completely content with conversations based around geographic origin, the weather and not much more. I shall try to enjoy this seat this week, watching from my new perspective of a writer.
Ooh, new people. I’d put them mid-30s to 40s. Quite scarily now my age range. The man wears an LSU ball cap. They sit close and share a joke, swiftly transitioning to observational small talk. Quite bizarrely, the dude changes his shorts in the hot tub. I thought I was about to get an unwanted show. Now they sit relaxing in silence & I return to my book.
Then their friends pass by and his loud, drunk, idiot self shows up. Racism at the core of his identity, so comfortable with it that he has no notion of how utterly disgusting he is. Enough of this, I can’t watch people like this – I shall go and eat.
Notes on people watching:
When people watching it is very important not to reduce the significance f your subject based on your internal hierarchical perception, especially when it is derived from their appearance. Each individual is no more or less significant than another. Each individual has his / her own story, a story that presents a world that revolves around the individual. Their significance & potential as an individual should not be forgotten.
Where we are not equal is in the significance of our contribution to the world, to other individuals & their story. Is our significance elevating & inspiring the significance of others?
The challenge with this, especially when people watching, is that it can only happen (inspiring others etc) through some form of introduction. The most basic, yet most effective method thus, is conversation. Followed closely by an invitation to community.
This is a plus and negative for blogging. It is an open invitation to community, yet only a partial, mostly one sided invitation to conversation. Unless you have a really good comments section.
unhiddenlight 
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