People Watching and Garrison Keillor

I've been talking alot about my old boss Ray lately. He was my boss at Rabbit Run and a mentor and kind of a shrink at times...or so the joke goes anyway. But he was a very observant person. He'd sit and watch backstage from above or watch an audience from the back of the house. And he'd always have really interesting perspectives and ideas of what was going on based on his people watching. He said you see a lot when you just watch. And you do. I work in retail-a constant change of people in the building. I am fortunate at my store to have 2 levels. And at times, I can stand above and just watch. As a manager, it's good to watch how your employees interaact with others-customers and other workers. And then just watching the general public. People do the oddest things, and the most annoying things, etc. It shocks me to watch people leave books and magazines everywhere. To see them go into a section and read something and quickly put it down when someone walks past. Watch them get annoyed when others get in the way or make noise. Watch them move furniture like it's their own front room. Watching them respond to the other people around them. Sometimes that's where the hope is. And sometimes not, but let's focus on the positive. People are kind to one another. They do help eachother out-reaching onto a shelf that the other can't reach-and then having an impromptu conversation with the stranger because they have read the book they helped get. Or they notice a pin on your shirt and immediately feel comfortable telling you how wonderful it is. They give up a chair so an elderly woman can sit and listen. Let the mother with the two kids go in front of them in line or simply hold the door for the person behind them. This simple acts of kindness that show there is an underlying effortless kindness in the human race-for the most part. It's nice.

Listening to Garrison Keillor in the store tonight. All of his stuff is based on the everyday person in a small midwest town. And everyone laughs at him, but they're living it. It's so real, if a little exaggerated at times, and that's why people think it's funny. He is a very witty man. And I guess he has a way with words that makes him funnier and more interesting to listen to than me. If I wrote a book about a 4th of July parade with circus wagons it would not be as fun. But such is my life. However, tonight, being just a customer I met these two great ladies. They liked my Stephen Colber bag and told me so, which got us started on a lengthy conversation of life and politics and family. And then we sat and listened to Mr. Keillor together and had a blast! All of this on the kindness of strangers that made a very simple night special. That's what's great about people. Now if they could just stop being so annoying when driving life would be good!