# What would you think if you saw this? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 9, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872 "2010-03-09T16:48:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/1 "2010-03-09T16:48:21Z")
You have a little errand at the local Church on Saturday. Maybe you’re just bringing the kids to play on the playground there or whatever. You pull in to the parking lot and see about 75 people, of various ages and races, walking around the parking lot and grounds. But not walking normally. They’re walking ever so slowly and aimlessly, usually looking down at the ground ahead of them. A few aren’t walking, but are lying on the grass or pathways, motionless. They don’t look at you or acknowledge your presence in any way. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/2 "2010-03-09T16:52:04Z")
Begun, the Zombie Wars have? ---
**Author:** ![breaking-reality](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a8b319/32.png) [@breaking-reality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breaking-reality)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/3 "2010-03-09T16:53:52Z")
Easter Egg hunt? ---
**Author:** ![breaking-reality](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a8b319/32.png) [@breaking-reality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breaking-reality)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/4 "2010-03-09T16:55:12Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Begun, the Zombie Wars have? Nah, the zombies would look at you and then try to eat your brains. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/5 "2010-03-09T17:00:14Z")
Maybe one of those protests where the protesters pretend they are “dead”. I’ve seen them done in protest of drunk driving, the protesters are supposed to be victims of drunk driving, and they walk around all day and don’t acknowledge anyone, acting like ghosts or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/6 "2010-03-09T17:02:59Z")
> [@breaking-reality](#): > > Easter Egg hunt? Lost Contact Lens National Championship. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/7 "2010-03-09T17:03:16Z")
God lost a contact? ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/8 "2010-03-09T17:04:27Z")
Flash mob / performance art. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/9 "2010-03-09T17:10:43Z")
In the context of church, maybe an exercise in medatative walking? Otherwise, some sort of protest as badbadrubberpiggy suggests. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Mood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@Blue\_Mood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Mood)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/10 "2010-03-09T17:13:37Z")
It sounds like a labyrinth walk. The labyrinths can be permanent or makeshift, and the idea is to walk them contemplatively or meditatively. Here’s one that looks like it’s drawn on with [chalk](http://www.bahamaislandsinfo.com/images/stories/wk-05-16-08/LabyrinthWalk-b.jpg), and here’s one cut into the [grass](http://www.pressomatic.com/middletoninn/upload/Labyrinth-Walk.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/11 "2010-03-09T17:15:47Z")
I assumed it wasn’t a labyrinth, as the OP said they were walking aimlessly. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/12 "2010-03-09T17:22:51Z")
I think I would ask someone what was going on. No sense bothering with half-baked hypotheses when you can get the straight dope so easily. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/13 "2010-03-09T17:38:00Z")
> [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](#): > > In the context of church, maybe an exercise in medatative walking? Otherwise, some sort of protest as badbadrubberpiggy suggests. Yep. It was my Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Class retreat, and we were doing walking meditation. There was a mom with her kids there, and a couple people who walked by with purpose, so I could tell they weren’t with us. I enjoyed speculating about their reactions. My favorite is of course zombie apocalypse. Our teacher even read us a poem afterward that’s about a meditation retreat, and describes the walking meditation as “shambling around the parking lot like Night of the Living Dead.” My favorite answer from this thread is “God lost a contact lens.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/14 "2010-03-09T18:07:07Z")
I’d say it was church in Washington and they just came out of a bunker after 50 years. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/15 "2010-03-09T18:11:45Z")
The Rapture happened, and those people didn’t make the cut. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/16 "2010-03-09T18:40:07Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > My favorite answer from this thread is “God lost a contact lens.” 😃 If God is omnipotent, can he lose a contact lens that even He can’t find? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/17 "2010-03-09T18:50:32Z")
Yeah, the mindful walking would have been my first guess, too, but then again, I’m familiar with mindful walking. 🙂 Zombie apocalypse would be my second guess. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/18 "2010-03-09T19:44:57Z")
Zombies in a holding pattern would be my first guess. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/19 "2010-03-09T20:02:04Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > Yep. It was my Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Class retreat, and we were doing walking meditation. Yay, I win! Is there cake? ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872/20 "2010-03-09T20:08:34Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > You have a little errand at the local Church on Saturday. Maybe you’re just bringing the kids to play on the playground there or whatever. > > You pull in to the parking lot and see about 75 people, of various ages and races, walking around the parking lot and grounds. But not walking normally. They’re walking ever so slowly and aimlessly, usually looking down at the ground ahead of them. A few aren’t walking, but are lying on the grass or pathways, motionless. They don’t look at you or acknowledge your presence in any way. I didn’t read past the OP so as to not spoil myself, but it sounds like a prayer walk. The were walking and/or sitting/lying on the ground to pray over it. Could be to bless the grounds, to prepare for a big event or project, or to cleanse it from some perceived desecration. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-think-if-you-saw-this/531872.md?page=2)