Loudmouths

It’s not too crowded today, but of course I’m sitting right in-between the two largest, loudest groups on the whole place. The group on my right is talking in detail about all the stupid things they did while intoxicated this past weekend. Classy guys, real classy. The group on my left is larger so it’s just 6 or 7 people all talking aver each other at the same time. I cant quite make out what anyone is talking about.

            One important thing I’ve noticed while doing these observations is that, much like everyday life situations, your mood in that moment really effects your reaction to the people and circumstances around you that you’re taking in. For example, right now: In an ideal situation I would find the two groups’ conversations entertaining and funny. But instead, I’ve been sick all week and it’s nearly 3pm yet I still haven’t had any coffee today, therefore I’m tired and more than a little cranky. So rather than being entertained by the loud groups, I’m mostly just irritated and wondering when they’ll be getting the hell out of here. Don’t they have work to do? Or lives outside of the Corbett Center? These are the questions that plague me rather than me actually making some kind of scholarly observations about them and the tiny moment of their lives that I’m witnessing and recording.

            I realize that this observation is more about me than these loud annoying groups at this moment, but bear with me, I’m sleep-deprived. If this were a serious ethnography about a different culture or people I was observing, I wouldn’t be able to talk about myself or my role as the observer at all really. That’s something I feel like I’ve really struggled with these last several weeks doing this project. As a person I’m very much in tune (aka controlled) by my emotions so keeping them to myself in order to be unbiased as been difficult for me.

ANYWAY: the table on my left as quieted down for the most part. Most everyones mouths are full of food, so theres not much talking happening, only two of them aren’t eating, but rather actually studying. The group on my right however is still trucking on. They make jokes and laugh loudly and obnoxiously, one girl just made this big to-do about how she spilled her drink, and one boy is on his phone talking to a mutual friend of the group, telling whoever it is that they should come join the fun at Corbett.

            I’m feeling very judgmental toward them right now but will keep it to myself. I can’t allow my feelings of irritation toward these people taint the nature of my observations.