My Favorite Place

I like to think of myself as a sociologists of sorts. In fact, my major - Christianity and Culture - is exactly that. So in order to see what is going on in the world and to do some major "people watching", you have to go to that special place where the interesting people are. Most would say the mall, and at one time I would have agreed, but I have found two places where you can see and meet some cool people.

1. Public Transportation- There is a Drama Professor at Western Washington University who said that he doesn't own a car just so that he can meet people on the bus. I agree. Though I love my car, there was a time that I wanted to "do my part" and keep the world from the dangers of pollution and so I took the bus. I wish I would have met the people on the bus, but listening to conversations and watching the "regulars" they all eventually gained nicknames and jobs or interests from me. My best friend on teh bus, though he didn't know it, was "little Joe", who was a "little person" who in my mind was a photographer/artist that would take pictures of his dog in funny clothes and try to sell them to Hallmark with sayings around them like "I'm howling mad when I'm not with you".

2. The Public Library- I only discovered this little gem recently. I started going here, because I wanted to see if I could get movies for free (which you can!). What is it that brings this vast array of people here? My theory is that there is such a variety of subjects within the library that you are only bound to attract a wide variety of people. I had a copy of the "lost books of Rastafaria" from the library, but checked out a different book instead because I thought that a hippie may be able to use it more than I could.
I like to watch the behaviors of people too. In the library all of the stereotypes that we've come to know are true. People really do shush you if you are talking too loud and also there is always that man or woman who has something caught in their throat and can't get it out and the library is filled with coughing and the sound of AAAHHHHEMMMMHEM...MMMMM...cough, cough......MMMHHMMMM...MMM. If you've ever seen "Along Came Polly" there is a scene where the funny friend is giving a presentation and does this for two minutes: typical library protocol.

So anyways, forget the mall, public places is the place to be when it comes to people watching!

In My CD Player right now: I am listening to an Erwin McManus set of sermons right now. He talks a lot about how "The safest place to be is in the center of God's Will", and how it's a bunch of Crap. I like it.