People Watching

during those slow times at work, those times where i'm leaning ninety percent of my body weight on our glowing glass counter to avoid collapsing into a tired puddle on our cushioned floor mats, i have ample time to consider each and every person that enters and exits the store. one thing i've been studying lately about these people is how they enter the store. some customers enter like they have rolled out of bed, thrown on something comfy, and are strolling into their kitchens for a cup of coffee. comfort, confidence, a certain degree of ownership. they know where they're going and what they're looking for, and they do that. even if their aim is to just browse.

some people edge in, testing the water with their tippy toes, a little nervous and possibly overwhelmed by all the stimuli of lights and colors and textures and sounds. they kind of skirt around all the islands of product, hesitantly drifting a finger over something or other, maybe even daring to pick something up to look at the price.

and then there are the bluffers, people who like to act like they own the joint but are really kind of nervous under it all. these are usually the college kids, clutching their sketch pads and raggedy sheets of questions from their professors, acting cocksure but really not feeling so comfortable in a store with $2000 items.

i guess these are three of several reactions people must have to museums in general, depending on how often they've been to one, how much they know about art, how much they get intimidated by large buildings, how wealthy they are, and how confident they are in themselves, among other things. it's all pretty interesting, and it's always fun to categorize people the minute they walk into the store. though i promise i am openminded...