I'm always amazed when I stop to take the time to appreciate something like that. You can look at a whole park and appreciate the park, but what about sitting by a tree and appreciating that small part of the park. You see the animals that live there. You can tell if the ground is wet. :) You get more of an appreciation for what it's like to live at that spot.
Like you said, we can do a similar thing with people. Rather than just looking at the mass of people, stop for the one and get to know them. What's their story? How did they get there? What are their hopes, dreams, needs? It's amazing the people you can meet and the stories they carry.