Yesterday I got the bus up to uni. Normally I get the uni bus (makes sense) but I decided to get the 'public' bus and walk up from where it drops you off.
I have a confession. I have always been quite fond of eaves dropping. Usually when I'm on the uni bus I don't bother 'cause all the conversations are the same, about uni work, going out, getting drunk etc. Bit boring really. I've been doing less of the eaves dropping because of this.
In fact yesterday, when I got on the 'public' bus, I wasn't even planning on eaves dropping, but as I was reading this women behind me was talking on the phone and I just couldn't ignore her.
Now, the interesting thing was, I didn't know what she looked like. I didn't notice her when I got on and I couldn't very well turn round and stare at her. She'd think I was weird. So, obviously I invented her face in my mind. As she talked in her incredibly posh British accent, I couldn't help but try and piece her life together.
This is what I got. I presumed the person she was talking to was her sister, who is the only person she can confide in (on a public bus for all to hear). Her father is impossible (perhaps in a home with early signs of dementia). She can't talk to her mother about anything because she'll tell it all to her father (so maybe he hasn't got dementia in a home, but he's just impossible.) Oh and she's a teacher, but hates her job, especially a student called Louise apparently. Daniel is okay though. But maybe they are her own children...
Who knows, eh!
The thing that fascinated me about this conversation was my own need to piece her story together, to create a story, a character...I totally had a picture in my mind of what this women was like and what she was going through, all from half a conversation heard on a bus!
So, today, I encourage you to do a bit of eaves dropping in a public place and see what stories you hear (or is it create?) I'll let you decide that one.
Happy creating...
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