microcosms of life

It's really easy to have high expectations of people, and assume they're always going to be awesome and amazing, when really, that's impossible. Or you'll start something new, thinking everyone will be different to what you're used to, or something. But EVERYWHERE YOU GO, people are the same! I think that's really fascinating.

This popped into my head last night when I was at my (new and super cheap!) dance class. It's really easy to think that by doing a class such as dance, where all you really do is follow the teacher and get fit and have fun, you wouldn't encounter the typical cross-section of people. Especially when, as it's an 'adult class', most of the women are in their late thirties/early forties, and you're eighteen. BUT I WAS WRONG!

There were two guys; one was very decidedly gay (surprise surprise in a modern/tap class, I know), and one was tall, a bit gangly, had red hair and was marginally uncoordinated. There were no cooley guys, but that is most definitely NOT to be expected in a dance class. So I felt a little bit safer. Moving on, there were the majority of people who were there to learn to dance and be fit and healthy and follow the teacher (normal right? most people choose to just blend in, and I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing as long as you're confident in who you are). Then, there was the dance class equivalent of the 'cool group'. Ironic cos they were about thirty five. You'd think by then cool groups don't exist. But I have learnt that in fact, cool groups will never not exist! Maybe when you're eighty? Oh well, that's a while away. Moving along. There was the 'cool group', and they were the ones who thought they were the best, and stood up the front, and laughed with the teacher, and bossed everyone around. I got told what group to go in, how to do something and where to stand, and they don't even know my name. It made me giggle.

THEN, there was the loud jokey person, who isn't very good at what they're doing, but try hard and make jokes from the back, where they can't be seen, and people like them because a) they try their best and b) everyone's better than them. Then, there was an old lady (who was just adorable, she's seventy) who is absolutely terrible but tries really hard, and even so doesn't really care, just makes lots of noise with her shoes and pretends she's doing it right. And then there was the young crowd that are like 'I too awesome for the cool group, I am different and alternative, just like the rest of my friends'.

And then there was me! The observer.
Anyway, there was only twenty people or so there, so I couldn't cover ever group, like the nerdy people (no one is nerdy and does dance class, they don't mesh well), or I don't know... people who like Star Wars. Or Star Trek. which one is the cult one? Or are they both cult ones?
Hmm. Curious.

Anyway, that was not about anything important, but I've noticed it more and more in uni/church/dance/etc... strange strange.

And to leave on something I've been thinking about since Carl Barron mentioned it on Good News Week last night, 'Who decides at a chicken farm if a chicken is going to be chicken salt or just a regular chicken?'