From a window in Chinatown, several stories up, I watched passers-by stop to take pictures of the impressive Chinese Arch.
As a pedestrain, I had seen people snap pictures before in that location and would barely glance at the action. But from the vantage point of that window, and over the course of about 20 minutes, the numbers seemed remarkable. The flow of eager photographers was almost non-stop.
Some people would look up, position themselves for a moment, and take a quick photo. Others would be walking and then appeared to be prompted by seeing other people looking upward with a camera; and then they would stop and join the action. It was a never-ending stream of humanity and everyone seemed cordial, focused, and they might share a smile or a few words with others. And then they would move on.
Having a little time on my hands and with the right circumstance, notably one that included a window, I witnessed a gentle march of humanity that was peaceful and likely satisfying for all involved – for those outside and certainly for me inside.
And again I was reminded if I slow the world down a bit, actually watch what is going on right under my nose and take the scene in fully, I might find some much-need calm in the middle of my own hectic day.