The old man waltzed slowly down the crowded street. I stopped to watch him as he stood out from the crowd. It seemed that the busy shoppers that bumped and pushed each other instinctively avoided him. He commanded space and respect, though he never looked up.

I watch people all the time but it was this day that I realized something important about the people on the street. People who look down when they walk are really looking 'in'. They watch their feet and the slowly rolling sidewalk underneath as they let their minds wander through thoughts. I don't know what the old man was thinking but you can see it on his face. Maybe it was regret that stained his face as he walked. Maybe it was the revelation of how time has passed.

It was a revelation for me, watching him pass by. Whenever I see someone looking downward when they walk, I'll know that they are really looking in.