People Watching...or Watched by People

One of my favorite things about living by Lake Calhoun is the people watching. Being out there on a daily basis, I think I've seen all creative forms of exercise there are. There's the typical dad running with the three-wheeled stroller, the couple holding hands on a walk, the lady walking her miniature puppy, the man carrying his dog while he rollerblades, the shirtless men's volleyball league ........................................................ Oh, sorry. What was I saying?

Today alone, I saw a 280 lb. black man in an orange sweatsuit power-walking. And I'm talking about in the way a woman would do it...complete with full armswings. I also saw a woman in a business suit on rollerblades as if she had just gotten of work and swapped her pumps for her blades. Then I saw a man sitting in a contorted position in the grass...meditating...oblivious to anyone around him.

Then there are the regulars...the older mafia-looking gentleman with the big belly who walks around with a wife beater on always looking like he's out of breath. I haven't seen him since last fall. He must've decided to let it his hair go gray over the winter since it was brown last I saw him. There's a couple that I always see hanging out by a tree with their great dane, which still freaks me out every time I see it. It looks like a horse! Marathon man runs everyday and usually laps me a couple of times and we wave when we see each other now.

It kind of hit me today as I was rollerblading, that as much as I enjoy people watching and chuckling at these crazy people, that "people watching" really is a two-way street (or in this case, sidewalk). I'm just as much a victim of being watched as anyone else. This came to me today in particular as I was rollerblading, listening to my tunes, and singing...yes, singing. Not just humming along, but full out singing to Gavin DeGraw's, Chariot, while on rollerblades. It's such a feel good song, I was singing loudly, not really realizing how loud I really was. As I became aware of smirks on the faces of people I passed, I recalled other times I have been "watched by people."

Like the time I found myself recalling something funny and laughing out loud to myself (read my bio if this confuses you), while I was walking by myself. People who know me, know this is normal for me, but when I subject my Calhoun colleagues to these outbursts, they might think I have some screws loose. And I know people have caught me in this behavior because I have seen them look at me and chuckle. Then I get embarrassed and laugh more. Oh, well. I've always thought of my walks and rollerblades around the lake to be "Ashley time", but sometimes I forget people are watching.