My western cocoon

For cocooned/engaged I walked around downtown with my ipod.  The beginning of the walk I listen to Ennio Moricone, which effectively made me walk much more upright and effectively able to make eye contact with people who would have rather not made eye contact.  I found that I was fairly unable to recognize when people were around me and almost got hit by a couple bicyclists.  Overall I felt as if I was in my own world and my acknowledgement of other people was giving them a pass into my world.  As I walked around I realized how isolated I really was from other people as even when someone would say something to me, I couldn’t understand what they said.  Overall this walk made me aware that I am not very observant to begin with and certainly not when I’m distracted by music.

My second walk occurred after night had fallen.  As I started walking around downtown I realized how much car noise there was even though in many parts you couldn’t even see them.  Despite all the construction, vehicles were everywhere.  There were more people than when I was last out and now that I could hear their conversations I felt more engaged with them even from a voyeuristic standpoint.  I successfully avoided any of the bicyclists forced up on the sidewalk by the construction; for that alone I liked this walk better.  I attempted again to make eye contact with people.  Except for a few women smiling back I was unable to engage anyone.  Most people will notice the eye contact and avert their gaze and now that I had to headphones on I felt a bit offended, but not really because I am guilty of the same sin of pseudo-xenophobia.

I would say the biggest thing that occurred was in my view of other people on the street.  With headphones in, they were people who were going about their own business and were not super excited to have some giant looking at them and smiling.  Especially when that giant had no idea what they were saying as they passed by.  In contrast, when I was not wearing headphones I almost felt compelled to speak to people now that I was cognizant of their avoidance.  Although not wearing headphones was slightly more successful at garnering human contact, I feel like people may have developed an evasive default downtown, where many people ask you for money or just walk up and talk crazy talk.