It Baffles the Mind

I have often said to those who know me that people’s behavior often confounds me. I’m sure that my comportment is equally perplexing to others but I like to think I try to vocalize the reasons for my actions or that my actions are at least predictable to those around me that they already know how I will act in most circumstances.

That said, I am still confused by what people do. Let me give you a couple of examples:

This morning I went to the library to get some school work done. The public library in itself is an enigmatic place but since I needed to make photocopies of things I was reading, it served its purpose quite well. At the library that I frequent the most, there are four tables of 8 chairs each. Luckily I got there early enough to have my pick – the seat closest to the window. So I chose table number 3 by the window. Perhaps 10 minutes later, a older gentleman walked up and sat at the opposing end of my table. Now, normally this wouldn’t bother me but why did he sit there when there were 3 other tables to choose from? Was it his favorite spot? I don’t know but it just seemed odd to me.

Earlier this morning, I was exercising my cardiac muscle on the stationary bike at the gym. I usually read a book while I cycle my legs into oblivion and barely make a note of who else is in the gym. However, this morning it was a little difficult to not pay attention to one other person working out. A man that I’d say was perhaps in his late 20s or early 30s had decided to check the noise register of a number of the weight machines on the other side of the floor. He contracted his muscles, let out an excruciatingly inappropriate moan and then proceeded to drop the stack of weights on each machine upon realizing his muscles. He continued to do this for quite some time (at least it felt this way!!) and was then perturbed when one of the staffed walked up to him and asked him to desist in doing his distracting exercise routine. Why did he get upset? I’ll never know.

And lastly, and this is only for today, I went to have some lunch at a new establishment. Because I live in New York, there is an insane competition for every New Yorker to be the first to try anything new. So the place was quite crowded. I was seated right by the waiting area and I enjoyed my food and my book to a great degree. However, as everyone was being seated, they somehow all decided it was ok to practically stick their faces into the dishes I was eating at the moment to see what it looked like. To a number of these food rubberneckers, I gave a nasty glare and to others, I covered my dish with my hand like a student covers his test from a cheating classmate. Now, why did these people think that poking their heads into my food was a pleasant gesture? I guess I’ll never know or figure it out. I just enjoy writing about it in hopes that there might be others who find these situations just as baffling as I do.