Black fingernail polish. The Great Gatsby. My new bike. A table at an outdoor diner on Phillips St. That was in the mix today.
I was sitting comfortably and cozy, sipping on an iced caramel latte, reading, and every so often I'd look up to see people minding their own business. A young man in a suit coat with his colleagues, one older guy leaning over to say a few words to him. An intern, for sure. A napkin flew by them, and none of them bothered to pick it up. Ladies dressed in black, colorful scarves tied neatly around their necks. Three girls in dresses crossing the street, arms linked.
But mostly I had my face buried in The Great Gatsby. I was up to the part where Daisy says, "'And I hope she'll be a fool--that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool,'" and I was thinking about it for a minute, searching for all its meaning in a blank gaze through the passing cars and the people around me, when a young woman came up to me.
"Excuse me." She was dressed nicely, had a little identification card pinned to her jacket. "I am a reporter for the Argus Leader, the newspaper here in town. Would you be willing to answer a few questions about outdoor dining here in downtown Sioux Falls?"
"Okay."
She looked at my salad (the cheapest thing on the menu) and said, "Healthy eater."
"You bet."
"What is your name?"
I proceeded to tell her my name and how to spell it.
"Well that is just unique!"
"Thank you."
Then in shorthand, she started writing down everything I said as she asked me questions. "What is your favorite thing about eating outside on Phillips Street? Do you come around often? How old are you? Do you meet up with friends here? Do you notice any differences here this year?"
For some reason I couldn't help but be distracted by her shorthand. Oh no, I thought, what if she actually writes that phrase down. I wanted to tell her to erase it, to wait for me to say what I wanted to say perfectly.
Soon she was finished and before she left she said, "This article will appear in the Life section on the Sunday Argus Leader. Have a nice day."

This was a fascinating moment for a couple reasons. #1 I was a little paranoid still about the shorthand. It's like the time I videoed myself teaching a lesson. My actions (and in this case my words) could not be erased. #2 They must target people who watch other people.

Okay, no epiphanies here, but certainly a day filled with the interesting world of simply noticing people, things, and places. We'll see how that article turns out.