in public

i found myself at the mall again the other day for one of the monthly lego model builds my kids enjoy so much. we got there later than usual and the later you get to these things, the more the line begins to look like the outside of a 1982 who concert. needless to say we had some time to kill. so taking turns holding our spot we broke off into different scouting groups to make trips through the food court to the drinking fountain and the bathroom.
i hung my head over the rail of the upper level we were waiting on and watched all the people walking by. so many people just seeming to wander aimlessly. i picked out a little square of space on the floor below and started some statistical analysis of how many people who walked through my square were attached to electronic devices. 24% in case you're interested. and then i spotted these seating areas and decided to pay a visit.
i'm always fascinated by public seating areas. this one is as nice or nicer than many people's living room furniture. and it looks inviting. anyone can walk into the mall as it opens and sit down here all day. bring your newspaper or a book and a cup of coffee and idle the morning hours. and a better place for people watching you'll be hard pressed to find. although one certainly trades off the privacy and personal comfort of their own space for sitting in public, there's something i think we as americans miss in this exercise. a connectedness that dispels the notion that we are all kings sitting alone in our private castles. go out and sit for a spell, and watch the world pass you by.