This is going to sound weird. But sometimes you just have to own up to what you love doing, no matter what anybody thinks. A special thanks to 
Now that just sounded creepy, I think. But I do love to watch people. I love to notice every little move they make. People are so different and yet so similar in a way. I hope I do not sound like an alien.
The minute I walk into a room full of people, the first thing I do is look around. Then I pick on someone and start watching them. It could be the guy who is all around making friends, or the young lady trying to make sure she is looking all perfect in her appearance.
I have been doing this from a very young age, even before I can remember. An uncle once told me, when I was small, I would not stop staring at people, even when they shouted at me to look away. But I just cannot help it. People are just so so interesting to watch.
There are always different actions emanating from people and at the same time, similar reactions coming forth. I watch as my ‘chosen one’ interacts with other people, I notice how they react to each words they hear, I notice each movement they make. Sometimes I even give them names.
I watch them go through their phones and try to tell the kind of conversations they are having with the people they are chatting with, I watch their sitting and standing positions, the movement of their legs and their toes.
I try to tell the ones that work out and the ones that look like they have never exercised a day in their lives. When I see the unhealthy ones, I try to decipher the reasons for their big tummies, which is most times related to their work and eating habits.
Most times, after watching a person for about ten minutes, I can tell lots of things about them. I can tell their kind of personality, I can tell what is going to upset them and the kind of reaction they would probably give if they are faced with a certain situations.
For example, the other day, I was in church. I have a particular seat I chose because it enables me to observe people without them knowing. There was this guy, ‘Mr White Shirt’, he looked as if he was paying close attention to the preacher’s message but the truth was he was distracted with his phone. On first look, it was as if he was jotting stuffs down on his phone, but that was not the case as a closer look on the phone showed a screen with a blue-headed background and some pictures which showed he was actually on facebook. Conclusion, ‘Mr White Shirt’ probably came to church to appease his conscience, and is the type that can either easily get distracted , or is the type that would find it difficult to commit to something.
Ladies are the most interesting set of people to watch. For guys, after some minutes, the only conclusion is usually, oh, he is a focused person, or can be easily distracted or still going through puberty (trust me, members of this group are the highest) or a ladies man or he is cute and knows it.
But for ladies, wow, you have got the attention-seekers, the I am pretty and I know it, the I feel I am ugly but are actually very pretty, the ugly ones who feel they are pretty, the ones always checking their appearance, the ones who always love to dominate, the ones who take time with their dressing, the quiet ones, the loud ones, the ones who do not just give a f*ck and the list goes on and on…. They also have this body language they give off whenever they are talking to guys that shows if they like him or not, if they want him to like them or not, or if they want him to leave them alone or not… like I said, ladies are always interesting to watch.
It is very rude to stare. People find it disturbing. Well, I cannot blame them for looking at me strangely when they catch me staring. Sometimes, people catch me staring and I have to look away. To make up for this, I listen. I have got pretty big ears so that helps a lot. There is so much meaning accompanied with each words people say that you can tell so much about them from little sentences. And those times people would not let me stare at them comfortably because they keep checking if I am staring at them, I listen instead. Listening also comes in when I am inside my room and want to observe people but cannot just come out to start watching them. I think I can identify most of my neighbors by their voices and the names I have given them in my head. and not by their faces. I hope none of them gets to read this though
Oh yeah, it is. Not in the money expensive kind of way though. But it is expensive because, it is not normal to just sit there and stare at people. People could label you as weird or something scarier, and then, you have to stop staring at some point to avoid confrontations and to avoid creating a scene.
One time, I observed a girl for so long that she just turned and started doing the same to me. At first, I tried to turn it into a staring contest until she started making scary faces and I just had to stop and walk away.
Now, if I have to explain my hobby to an alien, that would be pretty easy. I would just watch them for hours without end. I guess with time they would get to realize I just love watching.
They are every where. From the public bus to my classes to the streets to even the market place. So, not possible. They are all there, calling out to me to watch… who am I to say no?
Well, that is it. My awkward hobby, but I do not love me less because observing people has taught me so much and I still have so much more to learn.
