I've had this hobby for a long time that brings me great pleasure. I didn't come up with it, Arthur Conan Doyle did via Sherlock Holmes, but I have my own twists on it. Like Holmes, I try to infer as much from as little information as possible, ("By a man's finger-nails, by his coat-sleeve, by his boots, by his trouser-knees, by the callosities of his forefinger and thumb, by his expression, by his shirt-cuff - By each of these things a man's calling is plainly revealed.") but unlike Holmes, I am intrigued less by the factual accuracy of my guesses than by how close I come to the psychological truth.
For example, let's say you introduce me to a good friend of yours, and the three of us go to dinner or for a hike, and I have a chance to engage your friend in a fair amount of conversation. When we talk about it later, I will probably be able to tell you things about your friend that weren't even touched upon in our conversation--like the relationship he had with his mother or father, or the size of his family, or whether there were more boys than girls and whether he's close to them. There's no magic to it, it's the result of years of correlating in my mind certain personality traits and conversation patterns with family dynamics. For example, argumentative men are angry about something--look for a parent who was overbearing or abandoned him. Sometimes it's just an educated guess that gets lucky--but I get to appear to be startlingly perceptive, almost empathic.
This pastime has been reinforced by my other pastimes, as I invariably practice my little powers of deduction on otherwise innocent piles of litter, like the above. (I took this picture a little bit after I'd started picking it up, when I first saw it the plastic bag containing the cheetos was still on the ground, its bottom ripped out.) At first I didn't realize what the white sheet-like fabric was, but when I saw that it was a blood-stained hospital gown, I took the picture.
This is the scenario I deduced. The individual in question leaves the hospital without checking out, and panhandles in his gown up the 6 blocks from Sunset and Vermont. With the change he gathers, he stops in the Shirak Deli on the corner and buys the cheetos, cookies, and yogurt drink (with a label in Armenian--that's how I know it came from the market). Halfway up the street he probably rendezouses with a "friend" - perhaps one of the neighborhood dealers who walk around late at night here with a cellphone. The friend or dealer brings him some sweatpants and a t-shirt, and a dose of something (probably on credit) that makes him immediately dump the cheetos and the food packaging, (that may be the last he eats for days) and of course the gown.
As soon as he feels the rush, in his mind, he's "back." He'll be fine, anything is better than another night in the hospital, kickin'. The staph infection or the stab wound or whatever will get better--you can't just stop your life for these things. Gotta take care of business, see people, do things, you know how it is.
Admittedly how accurate these flights of fancy of mine are can't exactly be confirmed, but I betcha I'm not too far off the mark. In any case, that's less important than the mental gymnastics required by bringing to bear critical thinking to what otherwise might go completely unnoticed.
If you don't already, try this in your own life. For example, the next time you go to the doctor, try to guess what the people in the elevator are doing in that building. Are they also patients, pharmaceutical reps, other doctors, messengers, receptionists? More often than you think you will find out the answer--the next visit, on the elevator right back down, or because they appear in your doctor's office. But just asking the question is an excellent way to get into the habit of paying more attention. And when you do that instead of spending so much time listening to that endless inner talk show--yeah I'm talking to you--watch the effect on your family, friends and co-workers. It's not just noticing that haircut, the new outfit, or being attuned to change in mood. It's about listening--really listening, which is just another way of noticing what people say. (Trust me, I don't do this nearly often enough, but when I make the effort, there's a definite payoff.)
You'll also see more art in the everyday--a great gift. (Although I cannot tell a lie. I cheated in the above. The flower was actually on a bush 5 feet away, but I photoshopped it in. I thought that corner needed a touch of redemption.)
MCO 2007
