My new favourite thing

Something that’s fast becoming a favourite for me is watching people. 

I’ve been doing this for some time, but I am realising more, how much I enjoy it.

At airports, social gatherings, it’s amazing the stories the mind could form from just observing.

Airports make a great scene – raw impatience, politeness, lateness, cluelessness, all forms of emotions are usually displayed. Have you witnessed any extreme reactions from someone at an airport? Intense!

At Charles De Gaulle airport, the final boarding call was made, I watched as an angry mother approached the gate. Her son seemed to get on every nerve of hers for some reason. She was then told that her hand luggage was too big. The very last nerve had been touched; she shouted so much, the whole lounge stopped to stare. I felt for the person at the receiving end. She tried to calm the passenger down but she went on shouting. The other person had to raise her voice to calm her down by letting her know that time was passing and she would miss her flight if she didn’t make a decision on what needed to be done.

The mother bent over, frantically trying to repack the suitcase. She stuffed some things in her son’s back pack, trying to keep him in one place the whole time. He was a child, all he wanted to do in his innocence was play, unaware of the gravity of what his mother was dealing with...

On this other day, I had an early flight. While I was checking in, this lovely looking lady walked up to check in also. Her flight from Dakar to Ouagadougou had been cancelled; her best option was to leave the next day. She started by speaking very calmly then her voice got elevated, she turned red, but the next thing we saw was shocking! She started spinning around with her suitcase in hand and screaming. She was not notified and had to get out of bed early, she had made no arrangements and was unsure of where she would spend the day. She was meant to be back at work the next day. Everyone stared in utter shock but she eventually calmed herself down, and resumed having a normal conversation. That must have been her way of expressing her frustration I guess. But that was odd, I think, what do you think of that kind of expression?

At bush bars, the most likely conversations that could come up are sports or politics. These conversations could get quite loud! Many of us Nigerians speak loudly when we get excited, we not only speak but gesticulate, maybe excessively, like it would make the other person understand better. We immerse ourselves fully into things, don’t we? These topics are discussed with so much energy and passion, people get excited, jumping out of their seats to demonstrate or poking the other to make a point. I find it fascinating and smile most of the time as I watch. I often wonder how different Nigeria would be if we channeled that same amount of energy and passion to not just discussions but actions, well, that is a topic for another day!

At social gatherings, it’s nice how we appear picture perfect. Nobody wants to be seen at their worst, do they? But when you look closely or have conversations with people, everyone has their own struggles. I like the saying “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always”. You may see a couple looking so in love but you’ll have no clue what drama went down just before they stepped out. Sometimes, you may find one looking to the other for reassurance, if you watch as closely as I do, you could catch a quick glimpse of disappointment when they don't get it.Or a boost in confidence when they do. It's funny, body language says a lot more than we even know.

Where is this post going? I have no idea! 

What’s your new favourite thing? Or would you like to share some of your experiences watching people?

Thanks for reading