Tuesday, April 10, 2007

For The Love Of Breathing

All forms of communication fascinate me, hand gestures, turns of phrase, a sigh, the words people choose to express themselves, even music, not just the lyrics, the actual sound. The way the guitar will carry a note or the drum will roll, that precious, tortured wail of a well played violin. I love to watch people just jamming with each other, the way they speak through their instruments, almost walking hand in hand connected through their sound.

I love to watch people, everywhere, doing anything (well almost anything). I sit in restaurants and listen and watch. By the time I pay the check I know what went on at each table around me. I know that the lady in the pink shirt is left handed, and very picky, I also know that the man across from her is tired, not sleepy, tired – of life or something like it. I ride B.A.R.T. and watch people think as they read, study, and work. I listen to their conversations and laugh, to myself. I make up lives for the still ones- the spacey or the sleeping (he’s an investment banker going through a nasty divorce; she’s on her way to the clinic to see about that infection).

One of my truest loves is to involve myself in passionate conversations, things people feel strongly about, things people just feel. From the obscure (paper towel brand preferences) to the universal (do I have to spell it out for you?). Conversations that begin at 7pm and just run on into morning, laughter, tears, “oh, fuck!” and “fuck yeah!” peppered with way too much to smoke.

I love visual art, the images people choose to create, the colors they use, the amount of emotion they can communicate through something as simple as an apple, or a clock. Any medium, oils, charcoal, aerosol, wood, metal, clay - it really doesn’t matter spray paint yourself and run screaming “I’m a pretzel! I’m a pretzel!” for all I care as long as it means something to you, as long as you’re trying to tell me something.

So this is for all you talkers, you musicians, you artists, you thinkers, you random interesting strangers. Thank you, keep it up because you keep me going.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Much like you, I like to sit and watch, listen and generally take in those around me. Quite often I will sit in a coffee shop with my laptop on the pretence of working when in actuality I am just being nosy. All these people have a story to tell, are more than just an exterior on display to the world, and I know that chances are, I won't see or think of them ever again.

Breathing said...

It is so fun to be a fly on the wall sometimes, isn't it? I like to think that even those people whom we will never meet, those random passers by, have an effect on us. Because they occupied your mind, if even for a moment... Thank you for your words!