Space

N
ow I'm an observer by nature or is that more like nurture. Oh well that will be a totally different thought. Anyway back to the subject I want to talk about in this thought. Observing people, places and things is something I…well kind of learned at early age and it has become second nature for me ever since. In this thought you will read some of the interesting things I have observed recently around my town.

Have you ever noticed, when you are shopping, how some people give other people a lot of space? For a while I just thought this was because they may have a rather large personal space, but have since discovered this not to be the case. This unfortunately has just come to my attention, now you would think that after nearly 20 years of being an observer I would have noticed this sooner.

I only noticed this because of something that happened to me recently. Yes, I'll explain what happened, just be patient. Let's see where do I start…the beginning might be the best place so here goes.

I was sitting in a training room at the local Red Cross, I had my note pad with me along a book that I'm currently reading, something to do during the break, for research and self-learning, Wicca a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner By: Scott Cunningham. Anyway a gentleman came in and sat down in the chair next to me, I watched as his head slow went side ways to read the title of the book off the spine. After he read the title he proceeded to get up and move a chair or two away. Again during the lunch break I was reading the book, making sure to take mental note if anyone gave me plenty of room, and sure enough they did.

Normally I would just mentally jot this down to one of two things; one they really don't know who me or two they have a large personal space. The latter I tend to have myself when I'm around someone for the first time, so I tend to think nothing of people backing away. But after what happened to me a few days ago I have…well been observing this particularly fascinating aspect of us humans.

It seems that we (and yes I said we meaning the human race) tend to give anyone we think is "Different" a lot of space, almost as if they have something extremely contagious. And yes I to must admit I fall victim to this somewhat strange behavior. Over the last day or two I have noticed that I will not only look over at my husband with a questioning face, but I will give these strange looking people a lot of space. Now I'm know I'm not intentionally trying to push the people who are "Different" away from me, it's because I don't know them, their method of thought or reason for even looking strange.

Now that I know I tend to give people who are "Different" a lot of space I plan on trying to correct that by learning more about their culture or subculture whichever the case.

Learn more about others, their beliefs, their reasoning and whatever else that may make them "Different" from you. In the meantime keep thinking uniquely and creatively.