I've always been a people watcher too. lol
In fact, I was often told the story how that when I was maybe 2 years old, I was so engrossed watching another family that I didn't know my mom and aunts walked away and were watching me from around the corner to see how long before I'd realize they weren't there. They said I took a woman's hand without looking up at her face to see it wasn't my mom. (I would've been too cautious to do something like that with my kids!!)
Lol.
I left my young daughter in the toy isle once to teach her to listen as well as hear.
I walked around to the other side of the aisle & watched her also. After 3 or 4 times of saying we had to go and her ignoring me, I just stepped aside. It sounded like murder when she realized she couldn't see me. Screaming & crying! Next time I said we go,she listened.
You're a kindred spirit about ppl. I don't watch them to judge nor criticize but bc I'm curious.....lol. Noisy the old women would say.......lol