Who doesn’t just love sitting on a bench and just “people watching?” People watching may sound a little creepy, but seriously, there is so much we can learn from it! People watching truthfully is just being aware of your surroundings! I’d like to say I’m aware of my surroundings normally but how often do the people around you and their actions or their cultural desires go unnoticed? You may think you always notice, like when the frugal man in the green shirt is yelling at the cab driver and mothers around are covering their children’s ears. But how often do you notice the simple small things others do that we can learn from? How often do you just sit and purposefully observe others with the intent to learn about others?

Park benches are perfect -- new places are even better. It seems as if it should be noted; there should be a difference in people watching and just simply judging people. I promise you will see some different types of people, some you will like without knowing why and others you will want to question their actions. But importantly, don’t people watch to judge but to be aware of everything going unnoticed around you; we all are simply caught up in daily life, whether you believe it or not. It’s almost like a good book, a free way to pass time and be emerged in the lives of others; a perfect way to see those who go unnoticed.

Even better, people watching gives you the opportunity to sit and see where your community desperately needs help, and it may be overlooked. If you need a few tips, here are some to pass along: don’t stare, be polite, and very importantly, learn from others rather than judge. How do you learn rather than judge? Great question! When you watch someone treat someone rudely, learn that you don’t want to be that person. See the ways people treat each other with kindness and pick up on random acts of kindness in observed ways! Or just learn about the people in your community that make your hometown unique.

The way I see people watching, it’s an art - it’s being intentional and it gives you the opportunity to walk away with more grace and knowledge. Be intentional about looking at all the puzzle pieces rather the image it makes as a whole, study the pieces that are plain and that are brightly colored and learn to love them! Vacations are great for this to be exposed to other tourists, but especially locals anywhere you go! Really take a step back and let people watching expose you to the culture in people. But the fantastic thing about people watching, is that you don’t need special gear for it, you don’t have to have money or a certain group of people but you can indulge in it anywhere, anytime! Enjoy yourselves and learn more from those around you! Be present in life experiences going on and learn to become a person more involved in knowing others and knowing your community!