Watching. Wondering. Waiting…

We live in the age of digital photography. But sometimes when I look through our old family albums, especially from vacations, I wonder about the people in the background who unwittingly appear in our photos. I can’t help wondering in how many photo albums, in how many homes, my image has been captured in a picture, somewhere in the background. I wonder the same thing about stories.

Like a camera, a storyteller’s eyes are everywhere, ever vigilant. Watching. Wondering. Waiting for someone or something that will spark an idea. We can’t help it. Our minds are like video cameras, recording it all.

Major characters are the main focus of the story, their character traits often a cherry picked blend of people we are familiar with. The minor characters, though, those who appear briefly in the background for a scene or two, are a different matter. They often spring from snapshots of life; those unexpected glimpses of human nature that sometimes make their way into our days completely unawares.

Like Monster Mom and Sad Boy.

One day, years ago, I was sitting in the parking lot at the high school, waiting for my son, when a woman came barreling out of the primary school next door, dragging a small boy behind her. His little legs struggled to keep up as she hurried toward her minivan.

“Come on. Will you hurry up already?”

Halfway across the lot, the boy dropped his artwork. I saw the bright pink construction paper and the glitter and knew it must be a Valentine. Probably made for her. The woman snapped it up and shoved it beneath her arm.

“Come on. Come on. We’re going to be late!”

Maybe the poor woman was just having a bad day. Maybe she normally had the patience of a saint. Any number of things could have happened that day to push her to the end of her rope. I have written her a few different ways.  

She stays with me. So does her child. They appear, every now and then, in the background of my stories.

Kind of makes you want to be careful, doesn’t it? It certainly does, me.

Because you never know when you might cross paths with a storyteller.

Their eyes are everywhere. Watching. Wondering. Waiting…

So, my storytelling friends, tell me your people-watching stories. I’d love to hear them!