Observing people

I had a doctor's appointment (termin), and suddenly the practice called and canceled my visit, but it was too late since I had already bought tickets and was standing on the platform waiting for my train. My laptop was with me that time, I work not the full day and my work schedule is more or less flexible. So I decided to take advantage of this opportunity and for the first time during these months work in a cozy cafe, drink coffee with almond milk, and observe people. I like motivated observation: people are books that you can read in different ways and see something new every time. There is always a story or stories behind each person, each has something unique and inspiring. By observing people, I always fill myself with stories and feelings, my imagination is turned on, and movies with potential heroes are immediately drawn.

It was a little after nine in the morning and the city was waking up, more and more people appeared on the street and the sun was passing through the clouds, allowing the face and limbs to thaw (it was still a fierce winter). I went to a cafe called Paul, but not that Paul we know, some local brand with the same name. I realized that there were almost no free places, the locals were just having their breakfast, but only one tiny table near the window was free waiting for me. It was nice to dive into real diversity, where everyone is different and just the way they are: without following fashion trends, without chasing a million photos for Instagram, without pathos and pride. A mix of generations from young people in their early twenties who came just to drink a coffee and chat, to middle-aged women who met to discuss current trends in business, education, and culture, and to pensioners of a very respectable age (around 80) just to eat sweets and enjoy the atmosphere. Most of all, I like observing pensioners, they are so cute and fun, and they have so much perseverance for life and the desire to have time to do a lot more for THEMSELVES - this is a motivated inspiration for me.

Next to me sat a young woman in yellow boots similar to Dr. Martins, which were nicely complemented by a jacket of the same color. This bright yellow color was so eye-catching that all other colors were just colors, and this one was the color of sun, warmth, and gentleness. A little further away sat a young girl with a baby, drinking her coffee, eating croissants, and talking to the baby, smiling sweetly at her. Further behind the girl sat a couple in love in their 80s, he fed her dessert from a spoon, and she gently held his hand. He fed her from a spoon, and she held his hand - do you often see this in real life? And there sat a young couple drinking prosecco and coffee simultaneously - and this happens.... Then I saw girls sitting at the very end of the hall and loudly discussing new work projects. A man in his 50s or 60s was sitting next to the girls, he was eating an omelet with salmon, enjoying and savoring every bite, nodding his head, and talking quietly to himself. There was also a woman, she was alone, drinking espresso and carefully reading a newspaper.... After a year of living here, I realized that in Germany people still read printed newspapers, this is such a rarity for Ukraine.

Do you know what all these very different people had in common???

They didn't scroll their social media feeds, check emails, play computer games, listen to podcasts, or watch videos, they didn't even have their mobile phones in their hands. And it is obvious! People go to cafes to chat with friends, drink delicious coffee, eat, just be alone, observe, enjoy the atmosphere.... anything but not spending time with your mobile phone on social media.

You know, people in Germany are not attached to mobile phones at all, for them it is just a means of communication, and not a part of their life or their "body", without which it is impossible to live even ten minutes. There is no such an obsession in Germany, and this fact pleasantly surprises and inspires me.

April 25, 2023.