Walkway

Blog Prompt: Using the "double entry" method, observe something and describe it (NOTE: try NOT to observe an academic experience; might be too political). Then, reflect on those observations. Communicate both in your blog--and we'll talk in class about how a reflective activity like this one might/might not be a good experience for students.

What I saw:
In the 80 seconds it took for the microwave to heat a mug of water I observed a walkway full of students. One of the male students was wearing shorts and a sweatshirt, a female student had a yellow fleece on. Many of the students walked at different speeds, some sticking to the concrete path and others crossing over the grass. Others walked in harmony with the individual in front of them, always keeping a distance of at least 3 feet. Some stared at the ground, others' eyes were fixed straight in their heads.

My thoughts:
The entire time I watched I was conscious of my blinking. I remember sitting in bed the night before with my eyes closed and thinking to myself, even when my eyes are closed they are staring at the back of my eyelids. My eyes wide open staring at the back of my eyelid. My officemate Paul reminded me of the Kubrick film, Eyes Wide Shut, and I thought about that for a few moments. The students reminded me of fish in the river of the sidewalk. The boy who was wearing a suit looked particularly self conscious, I inserted myself into his mind and heard him chanting: "Shoulders back, shoulders back!" He stared at the ground for a while so I stared with him. He was undoubtedly conscious of the fact that his pants were about two inches too short and with each step they flapped in the wind, revealing a new picture of the boy's socked ankles. The girl in the canary-vest was minding her own business, she looked straight ahead, her face from what I could see through the window, was set in a peculiar abstraction. She reminded me of Ursula from Lawrence's novel Women in Love, which I fell asleep reading the night before. The entire movement of people, students and faculty alike, reminded me of just how unique each individual human is. I thought of a time when human beings were less plentiful, of a time when it was not so easy to forget the significance of each individual. The observation and reflection left me both lamenting for the past and rejoicing at the prospect that somewhere out there is a new friend. The microwave buzzed and I steeped my green tea.