The Magic of Witnessing Witnessing

I'm a people-watcher. I could literally sit for hours on a street bench, just taking in the activity around me.

Who are they? What's their story? Where is everyone going?! (This is a common thought when sitting in traffic.)

I find the mystery of it all to be captivating. Sometimes I make snap judgements, sometimes I make up empowering stories. I always make up names.

Lately, I've put words to a new kind of watching. Something I've always felt but never taken the time to understand.

It's not witnessing something great, happy, scary or moving.

It's witnessing someone else as they're witnessing something.

It's watching another soccer mom watch her son, her hands over her mouth as she waits in anticipation of knowing whether or not her son is really hurt.

It's watching the cheer coaches watch their proteges, matching move for move and smile for smile from the sidelines.

It's watching the man in the airport watching people walking by, the only one not on his phone, wondering what he's thinking about.

It's watching the woman watching the sunrise, alone on the beach, taking in the same beauty that I am.

It's watching my child watch their sibling struggle with homework, feeling their usual banter shift to empathy in real-time.

In a way, watching the watcher puts me in a meditative state. In that moment, it's no longer about me experiencing something, it's experiencing the experience of another.

It's powerful.

It reminds me how connected we actually are.

The next time something is happening around you, try not focusing on the thing itself.

Look around and notice the people around you.

See the world from their perspective.

Perhaps that's where peace can be found.