Observing Someone

¶ … along with observations on their personality. Observing someone from afar is entertaining, but it can also give the observer clues to a person's personality if the observation is close and detailed. Observing people can also give the observer many ideas of how writers create meaningful and real characters by basing them on the observation of real people. PERSON IN A SHOPPING MALL Shopping is enjoyable, but simply sitting and watching other shoppers in a shopping mall is quite entertaining. There are families, singles, and couples all mingling and browsing together.

Some people carry bags with their purchases, and some people carry beverages or nibble on food. Many people watch each other, too. I chose a single woman to observe, and watched as she entered several stores, made some purchases, and wandered around the mall. This young woman seemed to be in her early 20s, and was dressed for a warm fall day, in tight, hip-hugger blue jeans, and two layered tank tops. One was red, and the one on top was black.

Her long brown hair was parted in the middle, and she carried a large black bag over her shoulder. She wore sand-colored platform shoes with a large rubber sole that looked like work boots. She moved gracefully with long strides that matched her long legs. As she walked through the mall, she kept an arm over her bag, and sometimes brushed the hair out of her eyes with her other hand. As she moved through the mall, it was clear this young woman was comfortable with herself, and her surroundings.

It seemed as if she came here often, because she went from shop to shop with a purpose, as if she was looking for specific things, and she ignored some stores that clearly did not hold her interest, such as JC Penney and Cinnabon. She went right into The Gap, and began browsing in the tops and pants. She liked to feel the materials, and I noticed she would hold a sleeve or a pants leg in her hand to feel the weight and texture of the material.

After she looked at several different tops, she disappeared into a changing room. When she came out, she selected a russet-colored wool sweater in a chunky knit. It looked soft and quite warm. She also selected a pair of beige cargo pants that looked like they would go with the shoes she was wearing. She left The Gap, and headed for a small jewelry kiosk in the center of the mall.

She looked at several chains and bracelets, and spoke with the salesperson about them, but did not purchase anything here. As she looked at the jewelry, she set her Gap bag down beside her, and seemed to keep a close eye on it as she looked at jewelry. After she left the kiosk, she went into a Wet Seal, and looked at some dresses and skirts, but she did not try anything on, and she did not buy anything.

It was clear this young woman enjoyed shopping, because she moved from rack to rack easily and without hurrying, and took her time looking at different items, and feeling their fabric. It seemed she was looking for something fairly specific, and could not find it. This woman's shopping habits told me much about her personality. It was clear she cared about the way she looked, and took time with her appearance, just as she took time to find exactly what she wanted.

She was well groomed, and the clothing she chose was trendy, and yet not so trendy.