just sit

It's a beautiful day in Haslam, the business building that is. The seats that I am in are pretty close together so it got me thinking- while I'm studying for my test, about just how much the stranger next to me is going to/or has found out about me in the past 15 minutes we've spent in silent community with each other.

I'm not talking about people watching, although the song that talks about people watching people watching is so true!

I'm talking about the things that someone can pick up on your life just by observing you for 15 minutes- and this is in the least creepy way possible.

So let's take me as an example- through the eyes of the guy sitting next to me.

I sit down with my bagel and orange crush soda from Einsteins- he'd have to be looking pretty closely to notice the kind of soda though. He notices how I sit there for a while, and like most people, catch up on my text messages.. pull out my laptop and look around at various people.

He can observe the things that catch my eye- boys that I give more than just the one second glance and then he'll observe the people that I'm friends with- slightly looking up when he hears the sound of my voice break the fellowship of our silence.

And then, are you ready for this, hear comes the big one- he is there when a random stranger (!!!) comes and sits down in between us asking for 5 minutes of my time. He participates in this awkward situation with me as one equally caught off guard by the unexpected contact. This stranger is there to witness one of the most unusual conversations I've ever had and I'm sure in his mind he is trying to pick up on the clues that would give him any signal to a prior relationship we've had (there was none).

The guy leaves and my buddy- as I feel like we are after we've shared that common bonding experience- gets to hear the sound of my voice as I call a friend. He can pick up on my caring personality by the compassion in my voice. He knows that I tell my friends I love them and he can even assume what I've done this past weekend, or haven't done for that matter.

I'm sure that at this point he probably knows more about me ( the sound of my voice, my habitual issue with texting, what kind of drink I prefer, the interactions with friends) and probably assumes that he should be the one asking me on a random date more so than the other guy- which quite frankly I can't say that I disagree.

This blog was inspired because I genuinely believe that after 15 minutes of sitting next to me that this guy could tell you more about me that the stranger who sees my face all over Knoxville- literally we always run into each other. And therefore, barring any physical attraction, or lack thereof, the person sitting next to me has more of a knowledge of me to pursue a relationship than that familiar face.

Now don't read this and think 'Wow Val you really think you're the greatest thing that happened to this world' or anything like that. All I'm wanting to do is point out just how sitting with someone, rather intentionally sitting next to your love, or if its the person nest to you in Haslam, you get to know them-silently.

And quite simply don't take that information for granted.