Ballet World

When I was much younger I'd remember certain things about people. For example, in high school I'd commit to memory which people smoke and what cars they drive. Mind you, that's not all I tracked about each person, but I put a great deal of mental effort into memorizing such banal details about classmates.

Some 18 years later, I find myself keeping similar mental notes about co-workers. Why do I waste the energy? I have no clue. Here are the details I track closely.

• Do they wash their hands after touching themselves in the bathroom?
• Do they talk on their cell phone in the bathroom?
• Do they giggle uncontrollably when cutting their fingernails?
• Do they use a new paper cup on each visit to the kitchen?
• Do they hold doors open for others?
• BlackBerry, iPhone, something else, or no phone?
• Shoes
• Can you be bothered to wipe off the water around the kitchen sink?

Most of these probably make sense. I need to know who has proper hygiene in case I'm stuck in a three hour meeting with them. I also like to keep mental tabs on the lazy folks who can't be hassled to clean a coffee mug at the beginning of each day.

I only care about shoes because I need to be able to match a criminal to the scene ex post facto. I rarely have to use this tactic, but I'm definitely guilty of wandering around the office seeking out a rare shoe design.

Do you keep tabs on trivial things like this? If so, please share since that's what blogging is all about. A little give and take is good for the soul.

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Saturday afternoon we'll take our daughter to the Nutcracker. It should be very fun for many reasons. I'm hopeful she'll be so intrigued we, meaning me, won't have to hang out in the hallway and watch the ballet. Baby Singe thought we were attending the ballet today and was rather disappointed when she learned it was tomorrow. By wearing a dress and her ballet shoes, I think she assumed we were off to the ballet. Patience darling, patience.

Comments

[emma]

Going to see the Nutcracker was an annual tradition from the time I was 2 until way into the 30s. It's one of my strongest associations with Christmas. I loved it. And I have very fond memories of watching Baryshnikov do crazy, never-ending leaps at ABT when I was a kid. Unforgettable. I'm sure your daughter will fall in love.

[justrun]

Oh, I always, ALWAYS watched the shoes. That is how you know how the non-handwashers are. And that is very important!

Enjoy The Nutcracker! I am sure your daughter will be intrigued.

[SM]

Have fun at the ballet!!!

And helps yeah I keep tabs on people like that. I also have nicknames for them as well.

[Mone]

My daughter took ballet lessons til she was the age of nine. She lost interest in it. But the benefit of it now is she still is walking very gracefully and it helped her in sports too.

PS. I'm taking notes on who is still smelling for alcohol in the morning, that way I know who to ask if I ever have a party again :D

[churlita]

I live in my own little world, so I tend to be oblivious to a lot of those things. I do notice if people in my office are jerks, though.

[Lora]

I do this stuff too.

I also memorize the way someone walks, the cadence or whatever, so I know who is sneaking around the office. And the way people breathe.

It's important to be hyper aware of your surroundings. People like us will come out on top in the end

[Eunice]

People think I'm very strange in that I generally can't remember someone's name, but I can recall exactly what they were wearing, their brand of eyeglasses, whether or not their shoes had laces, and could go into full detail of the dental work in their mouth. I like to say that I'm a visual observer, not aural.

How did the little one enjoy the Nutcracker? I'm still in awe of my daughter's own reactions to both the show and meeting the cast afterwards.

[Bigbro]

Arguably, the young'en might simply feel comfortable in a tutu and ballet slippers and wanted to wear those as she practiced her french and performed pilates. oui ou non?

[Gwen]

I'm weirdly obsessed with men's shoes. Maybe because most of them are so ugly. So I'm always hoping to discover a less than hideous pair and mentally give the wearer props.

[Chris]

I like observing various tics as people are going about their business. People watching is phun.

[Felisa]

She sounds so cute! I've never been to see the Nutcracker but I hope the little one had fun!

I pay attention to what people do when they're not really paying attention. Like I will notice who uses a coaster when they go to my house. Or who will wait by the door to hold it open for people who are behind them. I like people who are considerate and you can usually find out who those are when they're not even paying attention or making a big deal about what they're doing.