People are interesting

 

People are interesting

The television was on, but the sound was turned off. It’s much the best way to watch television some days.

We wanted to watch something last night and tried three or four forgettable series until we found one that we thought would be passable. It soon became apparent that it was dire.

The good actors in it, and there were some, were having a devil of a job trying to inject life and meaning into a poor script. They were also supporting some other actors who were trying really hard but were all too clearly struggling.

When I look at some who have managed to claw their way to ‘the top’ to become slebs, I wonder who decides which characters should climb the greasy pole to the pinnacle. Be thankful I don’t have any influence in such matters. There would be an exceedingly small pool of performers if I did.

We saw the programme through to the bitter end, goodness knows why, but that wasn’t what I was thinking about at the beginning of this diatribe.

As I watched the voiceless speaker, I found myself wondering what he had looked like as a younger man. He was still pleasant-looking, but life was starting to leave its mark on him. He had a beautiful, engaging smile and I could imagine him being an entertaining companion, but he was beginning to look ‘used.’ Too much rich food, too much alcohol, other unwise choices, perhaps, or maybe he just wasn’t getting enough sleep. Whatever the cause, his youthful good looks were being overlaid with . . . age, I suppose. I could imagine him as a young blade, setting maidenly or manly hearts aflutter, and I could believe that he still might have such an effect, though it might take a little longer for the flame to catch.

I don’t know his name, and may never see him again, but he was interesting to watch, expressions chasing each other across his face. Watching another person, really observing them, is illuminating and endlessly fascinating.

It’s unfair that some people barely change their appearance throughout their lives and look much the same at eighty as they did at twelve, or even as babies. Is it their genes that decide that, or their mode of life? It’s probably a combination of both.

Even those who appear unrecognisable from the earlier selves seen in photographs occasionally reveal a little of their youth, in a gesture, an inclination of their head, a fleeting expression.

Ultimately, while pleasing looks may be an initial attraction, it is character which is the most important feature in the forging of a relationship, whether that is platonic or romantic, social or business.