People Watching

As an author, I love to watch people. There are all
kinds of places to go to watch people, but casinos are
great, especially watching people at the slot machines.

There are the individuals who are there just for fun.
They don't pay much attention to what's going on with their
machines, they talk to people, they move from machine to
machine and they are fun to play next to.

Then there are the serious gamblers. You don't want to sit
next to them. They are all business. They don't smile,
they concentrate on their machine as if what comes next
might be the end of the world.

Of course, there are those who are serious, but there to have
fun as well. They are not as carefree as those playing just for
fun, but they don't wear the glum expressions of the really
serious players. They play, and if they don't win they move
on. If they win, they stay for awhile. They do talk and yes,
they smile, especially if they win.

The beginners are not fun. They are puzzled, they ask questions,
usually of the serious gamblers, which is always a mistake. These
people are not fun to watch and certainly not fun to play next to.

If you have the occasion to visit a casino, you might find
the 'people watching' more fun than playing. I find some great
characters watching casino players.

Allison

'Simon's Brides'
coming May '06
From Wings-Press