Matriculation and classes

We had matriculation today.  Honestly, the most interesting part about it was seeing all the professors in their super-snazzy gear and commenting with one of my friends about what sort of character each of them could be.  For example, the Provost, if he grew out his beard and got a pointy hat, could TOTALLY be Gandalf or Dumbledore (and that makes him kind of awesome).
Anyway, this gave me an idea for a writing exercise that I want to try, and also share.  Take notice of a stranger - that one person in the park when you walk your dog, or the person that's sitting across from you on the Subway tomorrow morning.  Anybody at all, really, as long as you don't know them.
Study them as discreetly as possible - their clothing, their hair, their appearance, their fidgets, everything that can come up that could define a person.
Then, when you get to somewhere where you can write something down, come up with a back story for them.  Why are they fidgeting so?  What's the story behind their hair?  Why THAT pair of shoes?

I also have a bit of a confession, come to think of it.
I've done something similar in creative writing class a few years ago.  The assignment was to go somewhere random and find someone that you could focus on as discreetly as possible.  Then you had to write down a description of them and come back to turn the thing into the teacher.  I did it in my normal corner of the library.  I didn't know it at the time, but I also managed to pick the guy who would wind up as my boyfriend.  (sorry, you can't see it; I don't know where it is.  Bug me about it next time we're on break).

Anyway, my charge to you today is this: as the school year starts, try to get to know people.  Figure out what the backstory is for your professors, and then get to know them and see how right you were.  Or wrong.  But the point is to be ridiculous if you want, and then get to know the person.  Though it would be awesome, I highly doubt that the Provost at my school is actually Gandalf or Dumbledore.  Now I should probably talk to him at some point (hopefully not when he has to put me on academic suspension or anything), and find out something else cool about him.