I’m so small I can fit in the oddest places: the space under the bed, the box in the garage, or the cabinet below the sink. I’m so small I can slip into shadows—yours, his, the door’s—and stay there unnoticed for as long as the clouds hide the sun.
It seems that way at least.
Amidst conversation or in the middle of a bustling hall, I’ll step back. I’ll observe. I’ll witness what goes on outside my world. The time will slow, my heart along with it, and my eyes will open. And when they do, I’ll: feel the school’s stone bench and watch a frisbee fly from one hand to the next; hear parting seniors laugh on stage and taste a friend’s farewell brownies; float. For a moment, or two or three, I will be suspended in the air, watching, breathless, and awed by the stories I miss every day.
Until my friend calls, her voice tugging my feet back to the ground.
“Where did you go?” She will ask.
“I spaced out,” I’ll reply, and we will go back to where we came from, the other place forgotten if not for the paper and pen that appeared in my hands.
Observations from journals, notebooks, and pieces of paper. Unedited.
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April 2, 2008 – 1:48PM
Apparently, today, a student, in a romantic gesture I suppose, brought his entire AP class to a girl’s class to ask her to prom.
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May 24, 2007 – time unknown
A boy. Minority. Dressed in a large blue sweater and khaki shorts. It’s so hot out. His hands are handcuffed behind his back. Glistening. An officer in brown and brown takes things out of the back seat—shirt uniforms and many files. Leads him in. His face is too far to see. Dark dark hair. Sullen? The officer is a woman with her hair pulled tightly up. She talks throughout. He goes in the backseat on his own. They leave. Police car—brown striped and blue eyes.
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November 14, 2006 – 10:23AM
I sat on the stage, on the lip. My short legs swing back and forth hitting against the short wall. Snippets of conversations flow in and out my ears.
My eyes roam; a guy and a girl—friends–stand at far stage right. He takes her hand and leads her to the wings. They are smiling; my eyes follow. They start dancing, half-hidden by black cloths. Stumbling and smiling. Her dark wavy red hair sways as she turns; his shaggy hair hides his laughing eyes. Their friend enters.
The black veil falls.
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January 21, 2005 – 1:10PM
Sitting on the ground beside a friend and people from my neighborhood against a wall finishing my homework. I saw words in my text then shoes on the floor then the voices, the shuffles began to have a beat, a rythym playing.
I heard a guitar begin to play and I look up. Across the hallways a boy with messy dark hair and a tie-dyed shirt smiled at his friends watching him and then I saw his eyes. Content began to fill him as he strummed a beat from his chords. He and his friends took turns with the acoustic guitar.
What observations have you written down? Have you used it in your writing?
No, I haven’t written down observations. Not of this nature anyway.
I’m a journalist, so I write down observations of a different sort. But your’s are not bad. Not bad at all. I enjoyed reading this post. Your writing drew me in and kept me in. Well done.
colby
colbystream.wordpress.com
There are so many things going on at once, I find it hard to write down everything. The ones not written down are noted in our minds. I think so at least. =) A creative writer or a journalist–our readers will always have the chance to see something they might have missed. Or see in a different way.
Thank you very much for your comment. =)
i love making obsevations, i watch people all the time.
Actually yes i do use it in my writing. I’d totally love it if you’d stop my blogsite and read some, my first few are alot about observing, my most recent is another one about obserning. So you can serve around my site if you’d like.
) i really enjoyed this. You did and excellent job.
again my blog site is
http://gstoneawong.wordpress.com/
I’m glad you enjoyed this post. =)
I find observation important for a writer. In fact, I remember my creative writing teacher in junior year handing out a packet that said observation was key for creativity. I still have it somewhere.
I checked out your blog and I found your thoughts interesting. I even commented on your latest post! =) I had an enjoyable time reading through a couple of your posts. They definitely left me with thoughts to ponder.
Thank you again for commenting.