Finding Quirky Characters -
Okay, I have to confess, I’m a people watcher. Nothing I love better than to sit in a quiet corner of a busy place and observe the great unwashed masses. One of my favorite places has always been airports. Boy, you see everything there, especially in the wee small hours of the night. I haven’t been to an airport in a while, it’s no fun to travel anymore. I miss the good old days when I worked for North West Airlines and flew first class - everywhere. Remember the little four packs of Winston cigarettes on your tray? Linen cloths? Sterling silverware? Real china dishes? Steak, lobster, Champagne??? Let’s fact it, those days are gone, forever.
But I digress. I was talking about poeple watching. Today the hubby and I went to the fair! We go about every four years and that’s enough. I slathered my body in sunscreen, wore a hat and took as little to carry as possible, but made sure I had some 3×5 cards and a pen. Hey, I’m a writer, I go armed with the tools of my trade. Today I came back with a few character studies. There was the little old lady wearing a red T-shirt, red gauzy skirt down to her ankles, a huge multi-colored tote, silver tennies with a big purple hat. She was…interesting. I have no idea if she’ll ever turn up in one of my books, but I have a full description - right down to her fuzzy orange hair - in case she does.
As usual I was amazed at the number of people, men and women who wore flip-flops to the fair. Can you imagine a more uncomfortable footwear for miles of walking? And heels. I saw several women in high heels prompting me to say, HUH? Babies in strollers, people in wheelchairs, with canes and oxygen tanks. You see pretty much everything at the fair. We bought some junk, we ate some crap, I got some good character studies and had a wonderful time. That will hold us for another four years.
Tags: characters, people
June 21st, 2008 at 11:33 am
We’re going to the fair this year too. Should be fun. And hot. And tiring.
June 21st, 2008 at 12:31 pm
I love to people watch too. In fact, this week I’m taking a plane trip. I intend to do some airport writing! There are soooo many interesting things to see in airports. International differences, people in general, shopping plus nowdays you have all of that extra security. So fun. When I went to my Dad’s funreal I paid for a last minute ticket in cash. The guy at the ticket counter didn’t know how to do a cash transaction, let alone how to count change. Then I was flagged for extra security so I was patted down every time I got on the plane. A bit embarrassing, but it could have been worse.