What's in a face?

I like to look at faces and wonder what the story is behind them, especially older folks. I had one such man today. He'd asked me about impatiens; once I informed him that he was a little east in the store for those flowers, he went on his way and I thought that was that.

Not long after, he'd returned, wife in tow. 'Did you find the impatiens?' I asked. He grinned ruefully. 'They were out,' he said. Picking up an Aegopodium, he shuffled over. As he asked me questions about it (Do they grow well? -yes. Do they spread? -ohhh yes.), I studied his face and mannerisms. He spoke gently, using his free hand to fill in the rest of his language. It flapped this way and that, a nail even grazing my arm at one point. I quickly stole a glance at his wife (sunglasses are awesome for discreet looks) and wondered what drew them together way back when. Where he was softspoken and had a smile accompanying his words, she was, er, more vocal. And while his attention was focused intently on everything he was saying, she was 10ft away, cheerfully doing her own thing.

But what was he like when he was younger? How did he court her? Did his easygoing nature prove to be the panacea she needed? Or was he drawn to her because her personality so oppositely contrasted his? What was their marriage like? How often did they fight? Who would start their spats? Who ended them? How did they decide on vacations?

The children who come up to me are particularly interesting. They always just sort of meander over, a little unsure of how to get things going. One boy the other day was kinda precious. I turned around to see a mop of shiny blond hair below me, crowning a sombre face. Bending down, I asked him how I could help him. He held up a Venus Flytrap in his tiny hands, kept his face unbroken, and asked, 'Does this need sun?' He looked so serious, yet innocent, I couldn't help but think he had a mischievous streak in him a mile wide that bubbled to the surface at the most random moments. But what else about him? Was he an early riser? Or did he loll around sleepily in bed until forced to get up before the day passed him by? Did he climb trees, or prefer to sit back and observe? What kinds of toys did he play with?

As much as I'd like to conjecture on people's personalities based on their faces, staring at someone is both a little creepy and not very appropriate. So, here's an article from the BBC that fills in the rest.