People watching

I like to watch people. I am an observer. Sometimes my thoughts about them and their stories are harmless, other times not so much. The airport is one of the best places to watch and listen to people.

The other night I was waiting for my flight and an overweight man in sweatpants and slippers walked up slowly pushing a luggage cart with nothing but an old briefcase on it. He plopped down a few seats away from me and proceeded to cough, snurfle, and pass gas. I was disgusted. He had a cell phone and was apparently trying to call someone, "HELLO? HELLO? ARE YOU THERE?" When the call finally went through I heard him say, "Yeah, I'm fine, I just HAD to get out of that house..."

A few minutes later an overweight woman in her 40s was wheeled up in a wheelchair. "I can walk from here," she said with an exhausted sigh. She remained in the chair.

Our flight got cancelled and so here I am waiting again. The overweight woman is back. I have listened to her make at least three calls since she was wheeled over. Apparently she has been quite sick with a cold. She mentions it throughout every conversation. She also explained that she fell down two steps yesterday but did not file an incident report because she did not want to go to the hospital. She just walked slowly by and I noticed she has a brace on her wrist too. She has a hiking pole but does not limp.

I listen to conversations around me. I look at what people are wearing, eating, and reading. An older woman near me is reading a paperback with a homemade quilted book cover on it. The tanned young woman in the strapless tube dress has to keep adjusting the top, seems super comfortable. An elderly woman is wearing a corsage. A business man makes a phone call to ask, "Did you ever decide what to do about Brad?"

Mostly I am just annoyed by the overweight lady with the hiking stick and wrist brace.