Experiencing two sides of a life situation in the span of a few minutes can be really thought-provoking. Usually, it takes days, months and even years for ‘the table to turn’ but my table seemed to be moving at the speed of light as it took only a few minutes.
Saturday was really hectic for me. My initial plan and the plan of the majority of students in my department was to take the blows from the lecturers all through the week days and during the weekend, rest and recuperate. This plan was thrown right into the gutter when a lecturer fixed a class on Saturday. The sad part is that I couldn't even get annoyed about the class because the lecturers have the right to fix classes on Saturdays too (I still do not know who made this law).
All my weekend plans were tossed aside as I trudged to school in the early hours of Saturday. Again, I thought the lecture was going to be for two hours tops but there I was, four hours later, wondering who I offended.
After such a long and draining lecture, it is normal to feel famished and even look the part. I was extremely hungry and needed to get something to eat before journeying back home.
I walked up to the lady that sells snacks and placed my order. As the lady packed my order, my eyeballs which were roaming caught a young girl staring right at me. I looked to confirm if this was a known person but she wasn't. She kept gawking at me with visible hatred in her eyes. I blinked and shook my head in a bid to tell her that I could see her staring but her eyes wouldn't budge. At that point, I gave up and couldn't care less.
I would have simply assumed that she was looking at someone else but there was no other person behind me and no, she was definitely not caught in a trance.
I got my snacks, paid for it and went on my merry way. Obviously, I had questions as to why the young girl was staring with so much negative emotions but again, she was the least of my problems.
I read somewhere that when a person is either admiring you or is just curious about your existence, they immediately take their eyes off when your gaze meets theirs. However, when a person despises you, they keep staring just to ensure you know about their dislike for you.
With my snacks in my left hand and my tote bag hanging on my right shoulder, I walked outside the campus gate to board a tricycle back home. The thing with public transportations around my campus on Saturdays is that they are usually a handful and it takes the grace of God to find one that is going in your direction.
I stood there for over ten minutes and it took so much self discipline and composure to stop myself from eating by the road (just so we're clear, eating by the roadside is not a very good practice).
At some point, a tricycle passed by me and another young lady was looking out from the tricycle. Her gaze met mine and for once in my whole life, I decided to hold eye contact. Usually, I take my eyes off and focus on the situation at hand but this time was different. Once again, I had never met this young lady before so it was basically two strangers staring at each other.
She stared and I stared but the difference here is that we both stared out of sheer curiosity. Eventually, we both smiled at each other and broke eye contact. For some weird reason, that moment felt really refreshing. For a few seconds, I actually forgot that I was trying to get home.
I had to analyze both instances with a clear head. Two strangers, staring at the same person. One stranger was gawking with visible anger and the other was staring out of curiosity or possibly admiration.
The question now is why?
Why do people just decide to exude negative energy when they come in contact with strangers? Personally, I feel that by doing this, they block out the possibility of associating with these strangers in the future. What if the stranger is the President of a Country in disguise? They would automatically miss out on the opportunity of meeting the president.
Irrespective of whether you're in a bad mood or not, direct your angry stare at the skies or the nearest lifeless object to prevent unwanted ‘complications in the future.’
Let me create a brief scenario to explain what I mean by “complications in the future”. Take for instance, the young lady gawked angrily at a random person who did nothing to her and the person is one to remember faces. Then, along the line,karma happens and she needs the person's help. It would be really hard to get such help. Except she specifically gawks at people who she would never need help from, only then can she be on the safe side.
This only goes to show how uncomfortable such a situation can make someone feel. Since I can barely maintain eye contact with a stranger for up to 30 seconds, I would say that I do not know what it feels like to be on the other side and frankly, I wouldn't want to know.
In conclusion, staring at strangers or even familiar people out of admiration or curiosity is an adorable gesture but staring at people out of spite or hatred just doesn't cut it. Instead of staring out of hatred, walk up to to the person and express how you truly feel and maybe (just maybe) there would be a way to salvage the situation.
Images are mine
Love🤍
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Wes & Grindan
