"Fiction writers as a species tend to be oglers. They are born watchers. This is because human situations are writers' food."
David Foster Wallace-
A supposedly fun thing I'll never do again
Well, this could mean something. Or, it could mean nothing. I don't know.
Al Pacino-closing the deal...-Glengarry Glen Ross
They are just snippets. Moments-sometimes even shorter than that. Because a moment can last 10-15 seconds and seems to echo around itself. What I am talking about is a subset of that. The part of a moment-the pieces of a situation, the subparticles of human contact. I love these.
I love the way girls behind fastfood counters will bite their lower lip when their boyfriend ambles up to the counter-as if looking away will help them appear disinterested and the bite won't betray them. I love how guys will stand outside of stores in the cold-wearing coats and trying not to look uncomfortable, but will keep their hands in their pockets and do most communication by leaning their heads and shoulders, thisaway and dataway .
I love how older couples will talk to each other, without words, the comfortable telepathy of years- "I'll meet you over there-Fine-I'll get some coffee and be right back." I love how kids put their faces up to the glass windows of toy stores and pretend to touch the shiny lights and plastic, even though they know they can't reach it. I just wanted to feel it, that's all.
I love all of these things, all these people and their motions. I try to remember them when I can. If I could put them on mp3 I would need some big storage capacity.