Shapes

I love to watch people. I really do. And not just striking or beautiful people. I love to watch interesting people.

Over the past month or so, I have seen some very interesting people – full of wonderful shapes. At these times, it would be good to be a gifted painter. I would love to paint these people.

The first person I would like to highlight is a monster of a man. He is probably 6'5" tall, but what makes his shape special is that his lower half of his body seems out of proportion (larger) than his upper half. He does not have wide shoulders – as one would expect of a man his size. In fact, his shape reminded me of a pyramid. A smallish head and a big rump. I am not making fun – we are all different shapes and sizes, but it looked somewhat peculiar on a man.

The second person was a woman – and she had the smallest waist I have seen in a grown woman. I have seen pictures – drawings of Victorian women with corsets that had little middles, but this was how she was made, not forced with bindings and cloth. She was not a short woman – had to be a couple of inches taller than my 5'2" frame. But her waist – her delicate waist. I could not begin to estimate how small her waist is. She looked like one should set her on a shelf as one places a china doll.

The third person was another woman. I viewed her for quite some time in one of the squares in Savannah. She was sitting, eating lunch, and she had the most magnificent nose. It was the largest nose I have ever seen on a woman; maybe even larger than any man's nose. I am not sure. The face can sometimes deceive. It was long and the nostrils were elongated and as large as the nose.

The forth person – or forth and fifth person were both hugely overweight. I am not talking about one hundred pounds overweight. Lots of people are overweight (most people in the US, as I recall). But several hundred pounds. Perhaps almost 4 times my weight. I am not trying to be morose – but if you think of it, I wonder how people can sustain that weight. I have seen pictures in a psychology class – and from talking with others, they have seen the pictures as well. Nude women (they are male professors; I assume that men have the same problems, too) with tummies that nearly touch the ground. To not be able to exit a home upon death, some of these people. It is so foreign to me – I guess I am amazed, in a way.

Oh, how I enjoy looking at people. Wondering how it is to be them.