1 of 1- carrotcake
- Godlike
Offline - Registered: July 29, 2011
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Currently watching someone cry in public
I'm sitting in a coffee shop trying to get work done, and there's a woman at the next table openly crying! She's about 35 with short hair. I keep glimpsing her face when she moves, but it's mostly obscured by the other woman at the table. Her eyes and face are bright red, she keeps wiping tears right below her eyes, essentially stopping them from streaming down her face. She removed her glasses a few minutes ago when it became clear that she was going to continue to cry.
I think they might be engaged in some sort of casual therapy session, because the other woman has a notebook and is providing advice. Could just be a friend. They seem to be talking about caring for sick family members, but I can't really hear them.
Now the woman is sobbing into her hands. She's clearly trying to control her sobs. The other woman is reaching across the table and gently touching her shoulder. The crying woman is periodically blowing her nose into a tissue.
I would be very uncomfortable crying this openly in public, but I'm certainly not complaining about witnessing it!
- carrotcake
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Re: Currently watching someone cry in public
The woman is showing zero discomfort about her public tears. I am now positive the other woman is a therapist, based on some comments she made. She's allowing silent space for the other woman to cry and express her thoughts, interjecting when appropriate with gentle advice.
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Thread Starter- carrotcake
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Re: Currently watching someone cry in public
They've now left; they set a date for her next appointment. There was a bit more crying, mostly wiping eyes and sniffling. I find it fascinating that they had a therapy appointment that was clearly going to be emotional in such a public space.
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Thread Starter- TorNorth
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Re: Currently watching someone cry in public
I like your live obs! I also find it wierd that the session was out in public.
Ugly crying is pretty crying
- Amans lacrimae
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Re: Currently watching someone cry in public
Love it, I missed your obs, had not heard from you for a while now, hope everything is fine.
I had a public obs too, actually when I was reading this one.
I won't tale long since it was brief. A man in his lower forties reunited with his children after a few years of being absent. He hugged them, talked a bit, then his voice became wobbly and his lip curled. He took off his glasses to wipe his eyes so no tears fell, meanwhile he tried to keep talking but he choked up and abruptly turned away and left the room, leaving her children.
I was a couple of feet away, so I saw everything with detail, honestly it was a highly unexpected obs.
- truffle
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Re: Currently watching someone cry in public
This is so good.
Was she looking around at all? Did she notice you or anyone else watching her? God I'd be so self conscious if I was her. I can't imagine doing therapy in a coffee shop.
- Amans lacrimae
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Re: Currently watching someone cry in public
truffle wrote:
This is so good.
Was she looking around at all? Did she notice you or anyone else watching her? God I'd be so self conscious if I was her. I can't imagine doing therapy in a coffee shop.
Interesting, not long ago you mentioned you didn't mind your wife wiping your tears in public, I assumed you were relatively comfortable crying around people. So, when you cry in public places, does your wife cover you somehow to give you privacy? Does she take you yo a less concurred spot, or does she wipe your tears on the spot regardless of who is around?
- truffle
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Re: Currently watching someone cry in public
Interesting, not long ago you mentioned you didn't mind your wife wiping your tears in public, I assumed you were relatively comfortable crying around people. So, when you cry in public places, does your wife cover you somehow to give you privacy? Does she take you yo a less concurred spot, or does she wipe your tears on the spot regardless of who is around?
I meant that I wouldn’t want to talk to a therapist in public. I feel like that needs to be done in private. Unless maybe she was dealing with social anxiety or agoraphobia, and being in public was part of the therapy? Who knows.
I just learned from a young age that I wasn’t good at holding back tears, so public crying was guaranteed to happen. I got used to crying in public during my gymnastics classes and competitions at around age 13-14 (I’ve posted about this before).
My wife doesn’t wipe my tears in any specific pattern. She just does whatever feels right depending on the situation (how many people are present, are we being looked at, how much makeup I’m wearing, etc)
- carrotcake
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Re: Currently watching someone cry in public
This is so good.
Was she looking around at all? Did she notice you or anyone else watching her? God I'd be so self conscious if I was her. I can't imagine doing therapy in a coffee shop.
She didn't notice me, especially since the line of sight between us was obscured most of the time by the therapist's head. I don't think she was looking around; from what I could see, she was mostly looking at the therapist and down at the table.
I didn't see anyone else watching, but I assume other people noticed. It was pretty quiet in the coffee shop, and while she wasn't crying loudly, I can't imagine not noticing such an unusual thing happening. Then again, most people aren't as attuned to crying as I am, so maybe other people noticed briefly but didn't find it distracting.
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