People watching

I was up pre-dawn this morning. Four a.m. to be exact. I had a flight to catch at six, the first leg of my journey to Cleveland. I land in there at about noon and will spend the night at my parents. Tomorrow I'll be driving to Pittsburgh for a good friend of mine's wedding. I'm excited, I think I'll get to see a lot of people I haven't for a very long time. 

Right now, I'm on a layover in Baltimore. Every time I'm in a major airport, I'm reminded how many people there are out there. Most places in Maine are pretty uncrowded compared to some of the major airports. It makes me uncomfortable to be around this many people. 

One of the good things, though, is the people watching. It's easy to sit back and observe the masses pass by like flotsam on the raging river of arrivals, departures and gate changes. The confused and worried looks of travelers unsure of where to go or how to get there. I wonder where they're going and what's waiting for them when they get there. I wonder what their happiest moments were and how they match up to mine. Did their worst moment happen yet or is it still to come? Do they have someone try love more than any other, that they've never stopped loving no matter what?

People watching is fascinating to me. It lets me step outside the chaos in my brain and the emotions of my daily life. It reminds me that I'm not the only one in the world.