Shout – Let it all out

July 30, 2012 by 18 Comments

I have seen her face before. I am sure. I’m terrible with names, but I know faces. And, her long dark, fairly curly hair. Her tan. Her… My heart stops beating for a few seconds. It’s her. It’s the woman I met at the library. I can’t walk up to her and say hi. She won’t recognize me. I’ve showered. I’ve got a hair cut. I’ve shaved.

I decide to turn away. I want to close my eyes, in order to remember her better. But I can’t. I’m outside, there are people all over the place. Instead, I’m listening to the the sound of her walking. She’s just a few feet away from me. I remember her smell. It was like beauty, and nothing I’ve ever smelled before.

The sound of her walking. It makes me so… alive. It makes me… It makes me want to turn around and just walk up to her, and… shout! I want to scream, and yell, and… I want to tell her… I have no idea what I want to tell her.

The sound of her walking is fading away, I’m watching people walk by, and I am watching the street ahead. What was I thinking? I wanted to shout at her. That was it? I wanted her attenion. I wanted her attention for no reason. I didn’t have any message or content. I didn’t have anything to tell her, and I didn’t have any reason for walking up to her.

I am so glad I didn’t.

And now that I’m watching the street ahead, I’m thinking that the shops are doing exactly what I almost did. They’re shouting at the people walking by. They’re using advertising signs to cover the sidewalk.

There are advertising signs everywhere. They’re just there. They’re shouting. Screaming. Yelling. They’re not telling a story. They just want attention.

And I’m thinking – phew. I am glad that I didn’t.

Filed Under: Marketing

Comments

  1. Jack says:
    July 30, 2012 at 11:04 am


    Twitter:
    Sometimes there is magic in those moments where you feel moved to say something but you don’t know what.
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  2. Ralph says:
    July 30, 2012 at 1:17 pm


    Twitter:
    Jens, interesting point of view. Maybe the story comes after you take a chance and look inside. One of the most enticing things to me is a little mystery up front. It let’s you discover the story. Of course, there no need to shout. It might scare them off.
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  3. Tim Bonner says:
    July 30, 2012 at 4:18 pm


    Twitter:
    Hey Jens

    My first time to your blog. Loved the post. You’re a great story-teller.

    I find myself ignoring the advertising on the street these days. Too in your face. Definitely with Ralph on that one, you need a little bit of mystery.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Tim
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  4. Craig McBreen says:
    July 30, 2012 at 5:39 pm


    Twitter:
    Hi Jens,

    Ever been drawn into a place and you’re so glad you made it? A new discovery that happens by chance. Maybe this new experience was because you had a sudden whim to do something different or maybe there was an enticing story calling you.

    What if you exchanged glances with the fairly curly haired girl? That would have created a whole new dynamic to this nice little piece, eh? I don’t much like shouting either ;)
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    • Jens-Petter Berget says:
      July 30, 2012 at 7:41 pm


      Twitter:
      Hi Craig,

      I am not sure if I remember if I have or not, it’s been a while since I experienced something like that :)

      But you’ve got a point. I probably should take more chances and see what happens. I’ll turn those experiences into a post as well :)

      Reply
  5. Ruth Zive says:
    August 1, 2012 at 3:26 pm


    Twitter:
    Jens, you definitely have your own unique voice! You observe things in a very interesting way – I would never have considered the stores to be ‘shouting’. But now that you’ve put it that way…I see your point!

    I will have to download your short story to read!
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  6. Joseph Hipolito says:
    August 2, 2012 at 6:52 am


    Twitter:
    This post was really great sir jen’s you share something really important and to know about we can shout…
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  7. Chris says:
    August 2, 2012 at 12:21 pm


    Twitter:
    Hi Jens,
    I see that you are still on holidays Am I right?
    Your story about advertising is amazing ;) … I agree with Tim that you are a great story teller.
    BR, Chris

    Reply
  8. reese says:
    August 5, 2012 at 7:11 pm

    One does not just “shout” to catch the attention of someone you just saw to attract her attention. One doesn’t even go to her and just tell her that she caught his eye. It will just be crass. One orchestrates an event to catch her attention. Imaginative and subtle is how it should be. It’s how ads should be too.
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  9. Lee says:
    August 19, 2012 at 3:34 pm

    Hi that was very thought provoking. How do you get someone’s attention for the first time. Especially if you may never get the chance again. How do you make the most of the moment without ruining it. As you won’t get a second chance.

    I enjoyed that thanks lee

    Reply

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