I spent a few hours studying and drinking tea at Starbucks and literally observed hundreds of people of every size, shape, and color. I could see patterns in fashion choices, tattoos, and hairstyles but I also observed some individuals who were quite unique. All in all it was a fascinating few hours to actually just sit and take it all in. I observed a young woman with an olive complexion whom I assumed to be a student at the university as she was carrying several books and a backpack. She wore fairly standard dark blue skinny jeans and black patent leather flats. I could see a pink sweater peaking out from her raincoat. The most distinguishing element of her appearance was her colorful headscarf leading me to assume she is Muslim. If my assumption about her is correct, she is demonstrating a value of modesty. Although this woman wore clothes that did not distinguish her in one way or another, her headscarf caused me to assume other things about her that might otherwise be invisible. For example, while I know Muslims represent many races and ethnicities, I found myself making the assumption that she is from an Arab nation given her complexion. Had she not been wearing the headscarf, I might have observed her as Latina or Israeli. Since I am Jewish, I am familiar with the laws of modesty as Orthodox Jewish women also cover their heads in a show of piety to God. However, while I very much identify as Jewish, I don’t feel the need to dress in a particular way. I believe the woman I observed has made a different choice for herself.

The second person I observed was a muscular white guy with close-cropped brown hair. He wore black jeans and a snug short sleeved tee shirt. Both arms were covered in tattoos – from wrists to biceps. I did not see any other tattoos but, to be honest, made the assumption he had many more on his legs and other parts of his body covered by clothes. In my opinion, I believe this guy places a high value on self-expression and he uses his body as a canvas. I tried to get a better look at the specific tattoos on his arms, as I believe they can be revealing as to a person’s beliefs or interests but I couldn’t do so without staring or being too obvious about it. It also occurred to me that this guy could be a tattoo artist himself and I think it’s cool that he expresses himself so fully. In addition, given that he is in great shape physically, I can make the assumption that he places a high value on looking good and feeling good. As for these assumptions and how they relate to my own values, I can admire the guy’s tattoos but not feel the need to make such an extreme choice for myself. I have a few tattoos and they have very personal stories behind them but I don’t feel the need to cover parts of my body in them.

The third person I chose to observe was a white woman, fashionably dressed in what looked to be expensive clothes and shoes. Her blond hair looked professionally cut and colored and her nails were beautifully manicured. She wore gold earrings, gold bracelets, an expensive watch and she carried a designer handbag. She was alone but talked on her iPhone 6 the entire time she was in Starbucks only taking a break to order a drink. She may or may not be a student as she didn’t appear to have any books or other school related materials. In my opinion, this is a woman who greatly values her physical appearance and spends time and money on achieving a certain look. The main assumption I made about this woman is that she comes from a wealthy family or has access to financial resources. When I think about this assumption in relation to my own values, I found myself wondering if I would spend money on clothes, etc. in the same way if I had more resources. I love to go shopping for and wear nice clothes, shoes, and jewelry. And a manicure is something I always enjoy. But, I don’t have the ability to spend lots of money on these items since food, rent, and school expenses have to come first. As I thought more deeply about this I concluded that while I might be inclined to expand my clothing allowance if resources were more plentiful, I’m just as likely to add other items to my budget such as travel or going out for nice meals.