Sunday, January 15, 2006

What if we could stare?

A few weeks ago I was talking to my sister about some staring going on in another country. She has some friends who are missionaries in this place and it is okay to stare. As I have thought more about this and how funny it would be to be able to just stare at someone it has made me curious. Stares can be good or bad. When I first moved here I got stared at in stores and felt self-conscious wondering if I had food on my face, something hanging out of the nose or what! It turned out to be the hair color. Originally I wanted to change to darker color but instead decided to buck the system and went lighter. Back to stares. I also enjoy staring at times. When we stop at a store and my hubby just runs in I always enjoy staring at my surroundings and all the interesting people and interactions going on. When I have been caught I own up to it by looking any other direction and acting coy as if I had not just been caught. How would it be to feel the freedom to just gaze. I mean when some child is throwing the biggest tantrum you have ever seen in a store and you have to act like you don't notice, wouldn't be more fun to just look. Or when that person comes in with just the hairstyle you have been wanting and you could really look, gaze on it until you had it memorized. Or when someone is giving you the stare you could just stare back. I guess for some this could be dangerous but for me curiosity gets to me at times. I remember my sister saying her missionary friend had to remind herself when back in the states to quit staring since it wasn't proper in our country. How funny! I vote for making it proper. Don't I? At the same time I'm not sure I want people staring at me when I trip or fall or have toilet paper on my foot. Not sure I want people to have freedom to just gaze when I am chastising a child, applying makeup, talking, snorty laughing or in distress. So, although it seems to be a good idea originally maybe I should just use self-restraint and learn not to stare.

3 comments:

SuperMom said...

I vote for making it proper! If it becomes something accepted, then maybe we won't feel so self-conscious when others stare at us because we will learn to ignore it. I would LOVE to stare at the kid throwing the tantrum :-)

Michelle- This One's for the Girls said...

I stare if I can tell they are oblivious. :)

ValiantDad said...

I was staring at kid throwing a tantrum in the ER on Sat. night...is that okay? The mother wasn't watching me, but I wouldn't have wanted to make her feel self-conscious for the situation with her child, if the mother had seen me. I guess I do that alot by "people watching" anyway.