Phyllis likes to play a game where she picks a random stranger and makes observations about them ala Miss Marple (p. 134-135). What did you think of this hobby? How often do you think her observations were productive, and when did they lead her astray? Have you ever done something similar?
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On our honeymoon, my husband and I did this. I’m not sure it became a hobby for us, but it was fun to let our imaginations make assumptions that we might not do in our everyday lives. For Phyllis I think her observations were productive only leading her astray because she didn’t bounce these ideas off someone else. Thinking out loud is a productive activity, I think.
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For the book, I thought it was cute. I think sometimes they were productive. I don’t do this normally. I think you can rarely make a true observation just by looking at someone.
It’s a fun exercise that I do now and then–trying to imagine someone else’s life and story from observation or a snippet of overheard conversation. But you can’t take those imaginings as truth as Phyllis sometimes did. It’s a thought experiment and fun, nothing more.
It’s not something I normally find myself doing. But for the book, I thought it fit in well for Phyllis to play this game, picking strangers and making observations. I agree that if you do it, you need to remember it is just thought and wondering, not fact.
I know I do it sometimes, particularly if I see a couple. I find myself speculating on the relationship between the pair.
I have to confess, I do this all the time. My curiosity piques, and I wonder who they are and what kind of profession they are in. I think Phyllis had a few observations that were more or less on the mark. More than anything, I think Phyllis became involved in this because it filled a void in her life. If she thought about other people, then she didn’t have to think about her own life. It led her astray often because she was banned from the police station for her theories.
I do this more than I want to admit. I make up stories and names for people. I have new neighbors that I haven’t met yet. Husband, wife and dog all have names I have made up! I think it’s fun and not harmful. I also pay a great deal of attention to my surroundings. I thought it was on par for Phyllis.
Oh my, yes, I do this, my favorite place is in an airport! I never mind having to wait for a connection as I watch all the people and wonder where they are going and what for. Are they happy with who they are going with, meeting anyone, is it a sad time?
In the book, I thought Phyllis wanted to be an important part of the group so she kept offering her observations. I found her to be funny at times.
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I mostly observe people and make up a story about them when I am waiting for an appointment or when traveling. It could be a great hobby but you have to be realistic about it. There is probably no truth to your story line but it does pass the time. Phyllis took her stories/observations as truth without verifying her theories. That could lead to disaster .