I'm officially that creepy guy on the bus

A couple of months ago, I started taking writing classes at The Second City, which is one of Chicago's (and the nation's) premiere sketch comedy venues. I signed up for an intro comedy writing class, mostly just to use as a creative outlet. I've found that I really enjoy the classes, and attempting to make my writing more creative, concise, and (hopefully) more witty.

So one thing that I've put into practice is being more observant of the people around me, which are all potential characters in a sketch. I've always enjoyed people-watching, mostly because I liked to create stranger's life stories for my own amusement. But now, I've ramped this people-watching to all new levels. I'm staring at people at lunch, in bars & restaurants, and especially on the bus (which anyone who's ever spent any substantial time riding the CTA knows the buses are full of characters.) I've also started carrying a little notebook with me to write down any potential ideas that spring up before they're lost in the vast crevasses of my mind.

But recently I've come to realize that spending my morning commute staring at a strange guy who got on at my stop, while creating a story in my mind about how he got the scar above his right eye, all the while scribbling in my notebook can come across as slightly creepy. So I think I'm going to tone it down a bit, and try to avert my eyes when possible. But hopefully, in the coming weeks as I continue with my comedy writing education, you, the faithful readers of Philthy Laundry will be able to benefit from my peculiar observations.