Wednesday, June 15, 2011

The People Zoo

I like cheesy movies, one of which being Love Actually. The beginning and end scenes of that movie show heartfelt re-unitings at the airport. All sorts, husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, little kids and grandparents, you name it.

I'm sitting at an airport right now, staring, and I haven't seen anything remotely sweet in 2 hours. Alex Rosamilia calls this the "people zoo". When you sit back and keenly observe human beings habits like you're a researcher at a zoo. Social habits....eating and smelling and scratching and moving. Sometimes the only difference I can see are that humans wear clothes, because of their lack of fur.

I try not to judge, but as an ameutur student of the human condition, I can't help but wonder what the stories are behind these faces and walks and attitudes. Is this German kid really a thug in his Yankee fitted and oversized cargo sweatpants, or did he just watch a 50 Cent video when he was younger. Is this upscale looking man in a suit really a succesful businessman? He could very well be a struggling beeper salesman or a drug smuggler, or not even a man at all. It would be fun if I could read people like the Terminator, just to get a brief synopsis of what I'm seeing.

It's impossible to know what people are all about on first glance, but I guess the little devil on my shoulder is pretty sure I have it figured out. I once read a book by Diablo Cody that detailed in memoirs her brief career as a dancer/stripper. When she would dance in the glass booths, her oddest recollection was a young, good looking businessman who entered the spank tank, paid his money, and got off by licking the semen off the floor and walls of the patrons prior to him. I mean, what the fuck. If I saw that dude at the airport, my interpertation would've been well off.

Just like I have to assume that most peoples perceptions of me would be well off if they based it from first glance. Because of that, I should probably stop doing it. But I don't think I will.