Walk 6: With(in) Daily Life

 

What happens when you change the way you show up in the world, just a little? A lot, actually. They may be small changes, but they can ripple outward in unexpected ways, shifting not just how we move, but how we notice, feel, and connect to the places and people around us. 

Growing up, I was always known for being loud. That's just how my family is. We're a rambunctious bunch. I also don't like wasting time. Getting to point B from A needs to be quick and efficient. It's not like im still in elementary school, dragging my finger across the cracks in the wall or hopping over the lines in the tiles. But what if I were to change this? What if I were to perform in a way that requires me to take life fully in? slower even?

So with that in mind, for walk 6, I focused on just a few small changes to help change the fabrications of how I exist in a space. Instead of approaching life as rambunctious, loud, and quick, I chose to alter these. My chosen modifications were to maintain deeper eye contact, slow my pace, dress more thoughtfully, and soften my voice. These might seem insignificant, but they transformed how I moved through public and private spaces, and more importantly, how others moved around me. 

I started my day at a local coffee shop. Normally I go to starbucks, order online, walk up to the counter, say thank you to the baristas, and leave all within a minute. This time, I made the intentional decision to go inside and order. As I ordered, I made eye contact with the barista. I won't lie; it was awkward, but I noticed things about her that I would not have noticed. She seemed slightly taken aback at first, then softened and smiled more warmly. We exchanged a few more words than a typical conversation that I've had at starbucks. Just a few, but enough to feel like more than a transaction. As I waited, I slowly walked to where I needed to pick up my coffee. Walking slowly felt absolutely ridiculous, but it caused me to look around more. 

I noticed the man reading his book in the far corner. 

I noticed the area that people put flyers up on. 

I noticed the mom reading on her phone and the child coloring in her coloring book. 

Another place I went to today was my ceramics class. I did continue to slow-walk, taking in the sights around me. I've had class here for the past 4 weeks, and I really haven't walked around much outside. I took everything in as I took each step. I had some people rushing by me, giving me strange looks. I won't lie, this kicked up my social anxiety. 

Once I was inside, I did my hellos, greeting my classmates and making eye contact with each of them. The thing with eye contact is I never realized how much I actually avoid it, especially with strangers. Maybe I just think it's awkward. Maybe it's from my deep-rooted fear of public speaking—I don't know. But I think this was the first time I've actually seen my classmates. One of the older ladies hair, which is a sparkling gray, is pulled back in a tight bun. She has a very nice smile, a dimple on one side, and some crow's feet thinly placed along the sides of her eyes. Another girl has dark, rich brown hair with fuchsia glasses that frame her brown eyes. Since ive been in class with them for the past few weeks, they didn't really flinch when I made eye contact with them. In fact, they smiled back!

 Throughout class, I used a soft voice and increased eye contact while I spoke, which I noticed affected how people engaged with me. In this intersubjective space, our communication became less about words and more about shared attention and emotional resonance. I noticed how the quieter, gentler tone invited others to listen more closely and respond thoughtfully. Their eyes displayed emotion, and their bodies shifted towards me. The space between us felt more intimate and attentive, demonstrating how our mutual awareness shapes the quality of interaction. 

After class, I dropped off a package at USPS. I normally sprint in, scan my qr code at the kiosk to print my label, and quickly tape it on to drop it off. It usually takes me, at most, 2-3 minutes. Today, I spent 10 minutes doing this process. I walked in slowly, opened my phone to my app, scanned, and printed the label. I took my time looking around and listening when I could. Least to say, people were annoyed. I had one lady who rushed around me because I was going too slow and made a little exhaustive grunt. As I was getting my label, it felt like a lifetime passed by due to the feeling that there was a huge line behind me and I was wasting people's time (there was actually no one i realized after I was done). The post office attendant called me over to scan my package, and I made eye contact with him, to which he quickly avoided my gaze. I tried again, and he just looked confused at me. This made me feel really awkward. 

My last stop was Goodwill before heading home. I come here often but didn't realize how much of it I usually rush through. Today, I made a point to move slowly and really look—at the clothes, the layout, and especially the people. I noticed a woman sorting through dresses with care, her toddler humming beside her. An older man in the book section picked up a novel, held it close to his face, then placed it gently back. I made eye contact with a cashier as I walked in, and she gave me a small nod, maybe because she was surprised by my attention or maybe just returning the energy. The slow walking made me go against what I typically do in this store, which is rush to all the sections to find the best pieces. As I walked through the home decor section, I realized how many cool finds I would have passed up if I rushed. 

I did go home. however, nobody was home except the cat. I thought I'd try the eye contact with him, and he just stared at me and meowed. I have no idea what that means, but he's the only one who didn't break eye contact today. When my sister and her boyfriend came home, I watched them come into the kitchen to make dinner. I didn't interrupt and just listened to them banter. Once she realized I was there, she said hello, to which i replied by making eye contact with her and quietly saying, "Hey!" She immediately clocked the interaction, asking me, "is everything okay?" This just goes to show how abnormal these behaviors are for me. 

This behavior walk really demonstrated how small changes can affect our daily lives and how we view the experience. It was really interesting to see how people reacted to this experience. Some people reacted by leaning in with curiosity, while others were annoyed and irritated at the slow moving. The world nowadays is so quickly paced. People rush from place to place, multitasking with phone calls, scrolling through apps, and eating on the go. By slowing down, I was able to resist the status quo of the world and take more in. These small changes really impact the way I interact with the world around me.

I won't lie, it was very weird to do. The moving slow modification was very unnatural and goes against how I typically move through a space. Slowing down caused my brain to wander more in my thoughts, but on the other hand, it also caused me to notice smaller, finer details in a space. I did have to constantly check myself and the behaviors I was doing to make sure I was following through. Ultimately, the performance really opened my eyes to just how precious life can be and how, if we modify little things, we can change how we perceive our surroundings.