Amanda_S_Passage_of_Time

While the bus annoyingly waited at the Reitz Union to get back on schedule, I ignored my watch and, instead, looked at a man sitting on the bench outside of my window. He sat hunched, elbows on his knees with a look of boredom. Later, he sat up and I noticed that he was wearing an oddly patterned shirt and a backwards hat. He reached into his pocket and produced an ipod that he began to listen to. Some time passed before I saw him look to the back of my bus. He hopped up with purpose, placed the straps of his bag, and took a few steps forward. He halted quickly and, with an air, walked backward to sit once more. He had an air of disappointment and annoyance. But when he hunched again, elbows on his knees, hand pressed hard against his mouth, eyebrows furrowed, and lips tightly pursed, I saw an air of anger and frustration on the face of a man who didn't know he was being watched. My bus pulled away from the stop and I saw no more.

People watching is something that I do when I'm bored. I don't know how long my bus sat at the Reitz, but it didn't feel long because I was drawn into the life of this man. I could only imagine how long he had been sitting there waiting for his bus, thinking he had seen it, and then dejectedly sitting once more to wait. At that point I realized, "Hey, it could be worse...at least I'm on my bus, certain to be going home soon." I am very please with my reflective description...I wasn't expecting it to sound poetic, it just started to flow with the man's emotions.