Every communication interaction involves two parts: the verbal and the nonverbal. Whether intentional or not, communication occurs even when we are not speaking and this nonverbal communication facilitates the development of individual assessments and judgements (Niebauer, 2012). While one can send a nonverbal message exclusively, there is no way to send a verbal message without sending a nonverbal one along with it. In addition, those nonverbal cues can be a more accurate indicator of what someone means and feels conveying even more than his or her specific words. One's nonverbal communication is a large contributor to the positive or negative opinions formed by other people (Niebauer, 2012). .
For this exercise, I spent an afternoon in the Ninety-nine Restaurant in Littleton, NH. It was quite some time before anyone entered the restaurant area adjacent to where I was sitting at the bar. Finally, a small group of four adults and a child was seated close by in full view. The group was comprised of a middle-aged man and woman, and a younger couple with an infant. For simplicity, I will refer to the middle aged couple as MAM (middle-aged man) and MAW (middle-aged woman). The younger couple will be referred to as YM (young man) and YW (young woman). The restaurant was between the lunch and dinner rush allowing me almost uninterrupted observation.
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Description of Nonverbal Experience.
The MAM was probably in his mid- to late-50s, physically fit and graying around the temples a bit. His broad shoulders, strong biceps and narrow waist complemented his polo shirt with a custom tailored look and an air of strength that came from working, not working out. His face was tan with strong male features and when he reached to pull out MAWs chair, I could see his hands were clean but calloused. He was wearing a pair of navy blue slacks and docksides (without socks) but did not have the "I own a boat" or "I play golf" air about him.