i pretend not to notice when…

I pretend not to notice when people choose the less expensive option because they can’t afford anything else or are trying to save money. I pretend not to notice when the discomfort or sense of defeat or anger runs across someone’s face when we pass a homeless person on the street. I pretend not to notice when a couple is arguing in front of me. I pretend not to notice when an adult is being mean or curt or cruel to a child that is their own. I pretend not to notice when a friend contradicts themself. I pretend not to notice the fear people have for the future when it slips out. I pretend not to notice the addiction someone makes efforts to hide from me. I pretend not to notice the poverty, the mental illness, the cracks, the pain, the fear, the terror. The anger. I pretend not to notice the discomfort I cause people. I pretend not to notice the discomfort I cause myself. I pretend not to notice racism or sexism or whateverism when the outcome benefits me. I pretend not to notice a…