When you think no one's looking

Today I was out and about for a bit, and, when I turned back to head home, I was walking on the sidewalk on the side of the street going against traffic. I consider people-watching a good sport any time, but I particularly like to study other people when I am walking for a considerable distance. I really enjoy studying people while they are driving, mostly because they think that no one else is looking. As an onlooker, I feel as if I get the privilege of peeking into a private moment, and I like these peeks because they validate some of the weird things I might do when I am alone. In the past, I've witnessed a few who passionately sing opera, carefully apply makeup from start to finish, haphazardly read papers, magazines, and books, give air guitar concerts, change entire wardrobes, chew and play with huge wads of gum, hurriedly drink or eat entire meals, and, of course, more than a few talking incessantly on a mobile phone.

Today, on my way home in Tartu, I had a great moment with a stranger who was driving the opposite direction in traffic. Stopped for a moment at a light, this guy finished pulling a peel off of an orange and discarded it into the empty chair next to him. He then crammed the entire orange into his mouth while wiping his hands on the top of his pants and gripping the steering wheel. From the roadside, I couldn't help but giggle at the absurd sight of him trying to chew and swallow and entire orange in one bite. As he placed his hands on the wheel, his eyes glanced to the side of the road and caught mine. The look altered within seconds and was really precious. After recognition that he wasn't as unobserved as he thought, he became embarrassed. However, the best part of the moment was his acknowledgment of my giggles by a glance and quick wink, the orange still visibly lodged in his mouth. More humanness and humor was conveyed by this exchanged in this glance than a whole page of words describing it might :).

I suppose this sort of thing happens to us everyday and everywhere. People are people are people, right? This incident occurring in a brief moment of my day caused me to pause and think about how much of our real life happens when we think no one is looking. The quirky moments of self-discovery (I've had a few lately, including an embarrassing episode with my skirt tucked into the back of my underwear!) are what life is really about. Most of put an enormous amount of effort into disguising these less-than-presentable moments, but I think that we lose more than we gain with these pretenses. I, for one, have lots of human moments and weird character traits... it gives me comfort to know that there are others like me out there.

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. " ~e.e. cummings

"If God had wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise." ~Johann von Goethe

All in all, my ramblings just want to say -- Kudos to the anonymous winking, orange-stuffing guy!