For this assignment, I was to simply people-watch and
write what I saw. This was the result.
A man in a black trench coat leaned against his shopping cart. With his dark-brimmed hat tilting towards the front of his head, the man was serious. Somber even, and he tapped mindlessly on his phone.
At Walmart, there were a humorously large amount of newlywed couples. Each pair that walked quickly away from the self-checkout, and into the snowfall, held hands. Maybe it was a statement of their relationship.
College girls that walked around Walmart were almost always in a group. Presumably roommates, and they gossiped in hushed tones. Some wore hoodies and joggers while others wore beanies and white vans. Rednecks walked out with cases of beer and reeked the stain of a cigarette. There were no packs of college boys on a Thursday evening, and if there was a young unmarried man, he shopped exclusively alone. Mothers rushed quickly out the store, carrying loud children, or scolding an upset pre-teen. Some mothers walked by with piles of groceries and babies that held a mindless wide-eyed gaze.
In the Subway dining area, the store was empty — except for one employee that paced in the backroom. On the wall, a paper stated, “Hiring! $10 per hour minimum. Apply at Subway Careers.” An old man tapped the bell for a sandwich.
A Walmart employee stands next to the entrance, welcoming in strangers that don’t reply. Winter is here, and while Walmart stays busy on the outside, the mundane pace of life lives on the inside.
Isabelle Justice 