people watching

Yesterday after work I had some time to putz around downtown and do some people-watching. Here are the results.

I saw a grinning freckled girl about age 12 with a huge skateboard. I saw a woman with a wooden canoe paddle crossing a bridge. I saw a dog (okay, I did some "dog-watching" too) who was the precise shape and size of a great dane but was coloured exactly like a dalmation. There was a funny woman who stood too close to me and stared past my head in confusion before she snapped out of it and then rather sheepishly asked for directions.

I saw two men get out of a cab and then stand on the street corner staring intently in one direction as if they were waiting for something or someone. They looked like somewhat unlikely companions. One was about 20 years old, redheaded, looking like your typical "boy next door" wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. He had a camera case/man-purse slung over one shoulder. The other was about 40, had long curly greying hair, and had that gaunt look that one often sees in people who live on the street. By their posture towards each other, it seemed like they considered each other buddies, nothing more and nothing less. After five minutes of staring, the young one gave a sharp whistle, and then they switched corners and stared intently in another direction. I looked away for a minute, and when I looked back they were gone.

A group of 4 adults walked out of a hotel. They looked like tourists from some midwest American town or city in their really generic haircuts and really generic clothing. One was the mom of a single 3-year-old, and at first glance I judged her to be one of those women who identifies really strongly with her mom-identity...you know, the sort who is somewhat too protective and likely to develop into a full-blown minivan-driving soccer mom in a few years' time. Temporarily unobserved, her kid tried to pick up a flyer off the dirty sidewalk with the same arm that he was using to clutch a plush toy to his chest, because his other arm was tied in a sling. Having achieved this feat, the boy ran to his mom saying, "Mommy! I found a newspaper! I found a newspaper!" To my surprise, the mom looked the kid in the eye and said, "Ooh, a newspaper! Did you get it for Daddy? Why don't you give it to Daddy?" in a good, genuine-sounding tone of voice. After the father thanked his son for the gift, the kid proceeded to trail behind his parents to pick up another flyer with his one non-gimpy-but-full-of-plush arm, saying, "Daddy! I found another newspaper for you!" I had misjudged this family by their blah appearance, I think I want to be a relaxed but genuine kind of family like that someday.