The brakes squeeze. The car slows. The light turns red. As you begin the wait for the next cycle of the light do you ever consider who is sitting in the car on your left, on your right, in front or behind? It's an instant when otherwise separate lives momentarily come together. It's a bit like stepping into a crowded elevator filled with strangers.
As a detached observer there's a good chance you'll catch 'the singing guy' who is rocking out to his iPod blasting so loud it drowns out the music in your car. The other direction you might catch the college student touching up make up as she rushes off to a part time job. How about the soccer mom who is holding her mobile phone near her chin as she chats away thinking the police will never figure out that she is not using a hands free device.
There are still other characters out there. I'm guilty of this one myself. I am the car eater. A sub for lunch on the way into work. Or a few chips as a snack. Some fast food fries. There are many others who are nursing a coffee or sipping a soda.
Do you take a moment to notice those around you? Or are you so wrapped up in your own day that nothing can be your focus on your thoughts?
That moment at the red light can be an opportunity to consider how someone else's day is going. A chance at perspective. Borrowing from Henry David Thoreau, "Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other's eyes for an instant?"
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The opinions expressed in this blog are the sole responsibility of the author and are not reflective of the views or opinons of the station or Barrington Broadcasting
