Observe Strangers

At the completion of my morning run, I looked up to notice a man walking toward me.  He smiled, bent to pick a flower and extended it to me.  At first I wondered what he wanted?  Would he ask for money or food or?  

I felt hesitant but took his offering. "Thank you. You enlivened my day," I said.  He bowed, smiled and walked on.  I followed him with my eyes until he turned the corner. 

This gentleman's offering made me think of how we judge others because of the fear generated by the media and our weary world.  If everyone picked a flower and passed in on, how brightened our days would become on both sides of the offering.

Before my benefit of the day, I had wondered about the variety of people as I passed them on my running route. What did their lives entail?  What were their avocations or professions?  What gave them joy or concern?  

As writers, we need to delve into the interactions of others to generate our own ideas for stories or poems. 

Creative Write:  Observe strangers while waiting in line or at a restaurant.Ask questions of their behavior. Imagine what they do they do for a living? Use your imagination and observation skills. Go wild with your curiosity and come up with uncommon notions about those you observe. Is this individual a spy? an elephant trainer? a magician? a runaway from a family vacation?  

Have fun and spark connections for a story or poem.