Why Do They Always Look, Smile, or Nod?

I have noticed, more so since I have been going to college here in San Luis Obispo, that people look at me. You might wonder, well everybody gives a passing glance as they walk from place to place...another might add your just paranoid and "think" everybody is looking at you. Though, I must insist that when they make eye contact with you and sometimes even give you a smile I don't think it's just a passing glance...though one can never understand the tricks of the brain, so yeah I might be paranoid.

In reality though, no one can deny it does happen, and it's not like I am looking at them for there to be some kind of eye contact that would result in a smile or passing 5 second stare as they would walk by. I have deducted though that the whole notion of making that eye contact, the proverbial contact of intuition, may actually be happening however I may not be realizing it on my part.

As I said before we all watch people as they walk by, in my case however when I walk I don't do so with 20/20 vision, so I may be looking off into the distance and not even realize that my eyes are staring down the pedestrian passer-by. Putting on my glasses could solve all my problems (if they are even that, problems)...but what if it's something more then my Mr. Magoo status?

I go to a school that's roughly 80% white - if not more - and in my case I am not white. In fact I am light brown-skinded (Indian, not Native American or Latino!), I have a goatee, and my hair-style has been characterized as being Ricky Martin-like (though trust me now-a-days I don't even try with it). So, maybe it is how I look that makes people pay paticular attention when I am going down the walkways of campus or the sidewalks of Downtown.

One uncle remarked "Well here comes the Senator now," he of course was talking about me. We were at an event that required dressing up...and for some reason apart from all the other people that were wearing suits and fancy clothes, he chose me to make that remark to. This was before I had even any notion of political ambitions. Based on this one account added with all the people that give me the 5 second stare, smile, or nod I can only assume it is my very body language that gets people to turn their heads while walking. On the negative side I do slouch, or at least my Mom drives that hypothesis into every know and then, so that might be another reason for the 5 second stares. Even the manager of the complex I live in has started calling me "Boss Man" or "Mr. Boss."

I can only conclude that whatever the reason, it has to do something with me...the real question, I guess, is whether I should want to do something about it. I mean it's not like people snarl at me, turn their head in disgust, give me disapproving, or even skeptical looks. No, none of that at all; in fact they usually smile, some nod, and some just stare and go off on their merry way.

Hmmm I guess I can only wonder, I can't control what others think or do - and I am not about to go changing myself so people stop looking at me...heck maybe this is a widespread problem and I am the only one who cares enough to write all these words about it...in any case, just go on living life <- that's a good enough answer...