people watching

This morning I paid my bills at the post office in Cassino instead of locally. Despite the lengthy revamp it is still a place to wait... and wait... but the surroundings are much nicer than they were in 2004.

I arrived there just before 9am. There were already 60 people in the space, all clutching the ticket dispensed with a number according to the service required. A great place to people-watch.

A tiny snowy-haired lady came in leaning heavily on a walking stick. All the seats were taken, most of us were standing. She was particularly bright and cheery, and soon was chatting happily to two women who began to smile. Someone offered her a seat. She smiled at that woman. The woman who had given up her seat turned and spotted another two she knew. The smile still on her face from talking to the lady on the stick widened and soon the other two were smiling and chatting as well. Someone called out to one of them. Three men who were chatting quietly looked up and one smiled. The woman at the end of the room smiled more. I began to smile at the way the smile was bouncing around the room...

Within ten minutes of the smiling lady on a walking stick entering the room at least eight people who had been looking quite sombre before were smiling. The two ladies beside her on the seat were not so easy. When number CO26 came up on the screen and I moved to pay my bills eye contact had been made and features had lightened. Conversation and smiles were not quite formed...

I hope that when I am a little old lady with a walking stick I can make people smile too. Or will I be shaking my stick at number CO27 who tried to jump the queue but was made to wait by the operator who knows that 26 comes before 27? That little old man could have done with a smile from the little old lady. If he hadn't been impatient he could have got one. It might have made his day!