on the way to work this morning...

while driving through my favorite canyon, the traffic ahead of me came to a gentle slowing and cars starting driving very precisely and carefully. One of my favorite reasons for driving the canyons in Los Angeles is the sense of community you just don't get on the freeways -- it's usually one lane, down winding residential streets, and there's a better sense of "look, we're all in this together" than in most driving areas of Southern California. I think we forget that we're all in this together.

Also, there are trees. I will take tree-lined streets wherever I can get 'em.

As I drove by, I saw what every car before me had seen -- three deer; two adults, one baby fawn, peacefully and calmly munching a mid-morning meal, either oblivious or accustomed to the traffic that probably drives by their favorite eating grounds every morning. I smiled, something lifted off my shoulders, and the world was new again.

We're all in this together.