Today I took it upon myself to do something out of character for the average Joe meandering with the masses in public. The basic challenge of fluidity to the ebb and flow to how we publicly respond, ignore, or merely glance at can leave a situation with the sense of, "what the fuck that was odd". I'm not speaking of the popularized Jackass bs that every male deals with growing up, I'm talking smaller, much much smaller. So small that it is only noticed five minutes after your gone and they are still trying to figure out why they had a hard time taking in whatever just happened.
It's a fine art, a subtle message you send to others without acknowledge your making any effort at all to be noticed. But they do! The key is to be noticed without noticing yourself.
The one I do most of the time, usually when I'm bored and need to cause a secret stir within the minds who surround me
in pretty
in pretty much any environment.
It's simple and any one can do it!! As you walk, swing your arms WITH your steps. If you step with your right foot, swing your right hand forward. There is no need to over exaggerate the movement at all, and all you need is ten to twenty yards and you've mentally grated against what social fluid is moving around you. Don't believe me, try it! People may or may not stare, that doesn't matter, but what matters is you do not acknowledge your actions at all! Where did I do this at today, in the grocery store of course!!! It's my favorite place only because its whole process of existence is based on function! You always stay to the right and give the person passing aisles the right of way, so throwing a mental cog into this awesome machine, well it's magical!!!! My favorite part is to try and see the reaction after it happens, the head twists the crinkled little noses, and my personal fav, the semi pirate eye squint in deep thought of those fun little shoppers I just mentally violated!!!
There is always other options of course of how one can obtain this psychological violation of what is acceptable physical behavior, such as but not limited to: winking at no one behind someone, rubbing your hand from your shoulder down your arm across your stomach and end at you opposite hip while sighing, staring at nothing and laugh out loud, and another favorite waving at a wall!!! They are offensive in no way what so ever, they involve no one else around you, they are disturbing to the witnesses after they've processed what the hell was that?!!! AAAHHHHH I love it!
Yes I agree the performances put on on a much grander scheme is completely funny, however I don't think the majority of us appreciate the small movements that make one OK in a group of individuals who have no comfort level with one another but accept they are there. And if you don't believe me, just try it once and you'll see!!!
What do I love about this pic below, everyone looks twice!!!!! She is my hero!
Nice! You perfectly rock!
ReplyDeleteTwo of my faves:
1) Learn various responses to pleasantries in a language that's not all that commonly spoken here in the US. Having lived in Japan I use Japanese. Once you identify a native speaker of the language, put yourself in a position in which you'll receive an "Excuse me", respond appropriately in their native language and keep moving. This is good for a guaranteed double-take and prolonged stunned look.
2) As you perform some common task break it down as though you are following mental directions. Make each movement/step minorly exacting... A variation of this would be to behave as though you have to ensure that something with a flat bottom, (ie cup of coffee), is properly balanced on a table before pulling your hand away.