Observer or Participant?

People as a whole are so different, coming from all walks of life, doing many different things. But one of the differences standing out to me today is:

observer or participant?

Which one are you?

In the bigger picture, I consider myself an observer. Never in the thick of things, always on the outer rim looking in. 

Is this a trait of people who are considered creative? 

Or, depending on the situation, be more participants in some things, observant in others? 

Photography was a way for me to have a reason for being observant without having to explain what I consider my neurosis. Not that I do much of that, I just am who I am.

To me, being a participant feels as if doing so much, having activities often, you miss the smaller, subtle things in life.  Or maybe its just a depth I sense isn't quite there in participants.  

As an observer, I often feel compelled to photograph or write about things participants might have missed.  

And maybe its all just how it all worked out as a result of my childhood, always being an observer and never feeling known by my own mother.

In mom's old memory box, most of these items just laid on a shelf. Her memory box hung in her bedroom next to her bed, so no one ever got to look at it. Some of the things were nothing I wanted to keep (like the  box of hair!!)  but these seemed more meaningful.  

My grandmother's high school ring from 1928, and the abalone ring she wore during high school.  My dad's baseball pin, his valedictorian medal. The ID bracelets mom and dad exchanged probably in high school. I added my own high school ring and the ring my son used to wear. Decided on the shadowbox frame because none of it would fit in a scrapbook!

Another literal way of showing how I'm more observant than participant.