It is fun to peek at other people's groceries while standing in line to be checked out. It is clear who has a cat, who has a baby, who is single buying single serving entrees. I bite my lip to not lecture the person in front of me who buys unhealthy food...and expensively packaged , heavily advertised foods. Neither package nor advertisement add to the nutrition in the package. While tempted to comment on the amount of carbohydrates in their cart, I say nothing.
While exiting the video store today, it occurred to me that the video people know a lot about me by my taste in videos. They have a computer that keeps track of what I rent, which must be so different from what other people rent. My grandson likes videos with violence. If the story has a car blown up as part of the plot, I probably haven't rented it. If it is high school humor, I pass that one up as well. Adolescence doesn't interest me any more.
We tell the world more about our self than we mean to. Oh sure, the casual observer can tell a lot by looking at us. They know if they are looking at a man or woman, young or old. Our style of grooming, our choice of clothes, the way We walk, if We are healthy or if We drink too much, possibly our financial status are all advertised...intentionally and unintentionally.
The dry cleaners knows us by what We bring in to be cleaned: is it a conservative suit or party clothes?
The sanitation workers know us by what We throw away. Are our recyclables in the recycle bin or in the trash can? Do you throw away take out containers, baby food jars, cat food cans, liquor bottles, empty pill containers, junk food wrappers or vegetable peelings? Cigarette butts? Dog droppings?
The mailman knows me. He brings my dog a biscuit. I joke that Rascal is a hold up artist...won't let the mail carrier go by without receiving tribute of a dog biscuit. Scott, our mail carrier, knows my mail, the catalogues I receive if I buy from them or not. He knows who on my street gets stuff in plain brown wrappers, letters from overseas relatives, stock reports and overdue bills. He knows who shops at the Shopping Network. Scott passes house after house with clues who live inside. Some houses have very neat front lawns, some are weeds. Is there a bike in the driveway? A disabled car? Trash? Handicap ramp? We advertise who We are to the world.
The clerk who processes our credit card bill gets an impression of us without ever meeting us. What did you charge this month? Luxury vacation and rent-a-car? Charged your income tax payment because you didn't have the cash? Groceries or books? Took the family out to a restaurant and a movie? Have to have the latest electronic gadget? The whole world knows more about us than We intended them to know.