I walk a lot of places – in malls or stores, in stadiums or at work. One thing I have noticed over the years…my gait is faster than that of the average person.
I’m not sure why this is. It could be just an unexplained fact of life or a matter of a person wanting to move swiftly in order to get things done. Lisa marvels, for example, at how quickly I can go in the store and get the five items on my list.
I love logistics and planning. So, to me, a trip to the store usually follows a logical path. First the bread, then the Diet Coke®, next, the tp and finally the milk before I head to the cashier.
In general, I notice when I am in public I am usually walking faster than the people in front of me. And you know what that means…I slow down. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing?
I don’t mind the slow walkers, as much, but a real pet peeve of mine is when I encounter a group of slow walkers that have mindlessly spread out. It’s almost as though they strategically block anyone behind them from passing. I call them ‘mall walkers’ because this is a destination in which I frequently encounter such groups.
Honestly, I know they’re not really trying to impede my progress (it’s just fun to imagine they are). I think their behavior is really just a function of another observation of mine – many people are self-absorbed. They, literally, don’t notice what’s going on around them.
Thinking about this walking speed concept, I decided to look it up and see what sociologists have to say about walking speed. Not surprisingly, there are theories (and categories) of walkers. Someone who walks fast generally works fast and likes to get things done.
That’s true of me. I like that description. Very apt.
There are also categories for loud walkers. Man, I used to work with someone who would really stomp as she walked. You could hear coming well in advance of her arrival at your office door! Some of the articles I read also list slow shufflers and folks who pace with cat-like tread.
I guess at the end of the day, there are many ways you can analyze folks. Loud talkers. Fast typists. Quick eaters. And there is probably a theory for each of those categories, too.
Really what it all comes down to is people watching. I find that fascinating and I know many friends who like to do this as well.
It’s really fascinating when you breeze by someone talking on a cellphone and hear snippets of their conversation out of context. I heard a lady this morning, for example, who professed (just as I was walking by): “I’m not trying to bleed through my mother’s life savings…”
(Wouldn’t you want to know about the rest of that conversation…or then again, maybe not).
Another fun scenario occurs when you are walking toward a group of two or more people. As you pass, you can sometimes listen and hear the most interesting statements. Once on vacation, we heard one guy say to a family member “And they’re gonna say, ‘Thank you for this wheel of cheese…’”
We’ve had great fun with that comment over the years and tried to imagine the backstory behind it. Presumably, someone back home was getting a gift of some yummy cheddar!
The bottom line is that people are fascinating. It’s fun to consider what makes them tick. It’s fun to consider why they walk the way they do and why they say the things they say.
Fun thoughts to consider about people when they’re walkin’…or talkin’.
Yes indeed.
JG
(Source: jobs.aol.com)
Originally posted 4/3/2013
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