The next time you’re in a public place — a coffeehouse, a park, a store — observe the people around you. Pick a person, a couple, or a group, and imagine what their lives might be like.

I used to play this game to pass the time during many layovers in airports when I used to travel during my younger days. It was an interesting and cheap way to pass the time. Airports are especially rich in people observing opportunities and the diversity of the subjects can't be beat. The potential stories can rival any tale out of "The Arabian Nights: One thousand and One Tales".

Here in my small town of Blandford, I can spy anyone in the Post Office parking lot, but given that my town is so small, there aren't any imaginary stories, I know everyone and their stories.

Yesterday when I was in New York, I did a little bit of people watching while I was having breakfast in one of those wonderful old-fashioned diners. There was a couple of construction workers who ordered a lot of food, they both looked tired. The one that I could see well, had a sad look in his eyes, all the way back deep. He seemed to be trying to have a nice meal with his friend even though something was worrying him. He had a nice face, the type pf face that you associate with someone who is a kind neighbor, the type to mow your lawn if your lawn mower is broken or watch your house when you are away. I made me sad to see him trying to keep a brave face while he was listening to his friend. I hope that whatever was making him sad, it was somthing that could be fixed or resolved, nothing to do with health, that would be too awful. Someone as kind as he is and hard-working should have things to look forward to, not things that bring him down.

I hope that I misread his face and that the gentleman is actually on top of the world and my silly imagination was simply running away from me.

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