That’s So Po – Culture Column

When I was growing up, my mother always told me not to stare. Unfortunately for my mother, I still stare. In my defense, is not meant to be rude. I stare to satisfy personal intrigue. There are just some situations and people that require my extended viewing. My thoughtful gazes have become semi-socially acceptable in recent years with the start of people-watching. For me, people-watching is simply the act of absorbing the personas of those around me. People-watching is not meant to be rude or an act of judgment; rather it is a simple way to pass the time.     

Now when I say people-watching, I do not mean that I purposely sit somewhere by myself laughing and pointing at strangers. No. My people-watching is usually unintentional. I cannot help casually glancing around even when I am absorbed in conversation. I like to believe that the reason my eyes wander is not because I am rude but because I am fascinated by those around me. Minor details always seem to come to the forefront when I observe others, from the pattern in which the man across from me on the subway jiggles his leg to the way in which the woman walking ahead of me has placed her hair accessories. I cannot help but become fascinated by the motivation behind these decisions. I let my mind dance through the possibilities, and I enjoy the idea that I can never truly know the answer. Each person is left a mystery, only to be remembered by that one mundane feature.        

New York City is probably one of the best places to people-watch. Just the sheer number of people allows for a fulfilling session of observation. The variety of characters one can come across in a short amount of space is almost magical. I always find that mass transit stations (Grand Central, Port Authority, Penn Station) attract a plethora of interesting people spanning all social classes, from the lone businessman feverishly running to catch his train home to the nomadic musician armed only with his oversized glasses and a guitar.

Another people-watching goldmine is Filene's Basement in Union Square. The windows have the best vantage point for a ridiculous amount of people-watching. The last time I was there, the store had placed seating in front of the windows, thereby encouraging its customers to partake in the art of people-watching. Bookstores are also ideal locations for people-watching. I always enjoy glancing up from fiction section and catching sight of some intriguing individual meandering the aisles.

While all of these places are excellent for people-watching, the easiest place to people-watch is here on campus. From your dorm room window to the cafeteria, Rose Hill is practically designed for it. As I have people-watched my way through the Fordham bubble over the past year and a half, I have noticed that I always see the same few people everywhere I go. It makes me wonder if the people who I see all of the time also see me all of time. Maybe there are people who always see me but I never see them. It is almost baffling. People-watching: now that's so Po!