Choice for driving to town this morning—shall I drive over one power line and under a second hanging precariously low or squeeze between a good size oak and a telephone pole?; Neither option seemed particularly appealing, yet the possibility of a warm coffee shop was sufficiently tantalizing to coax me through the maze of limbs, power lines and full size trees as well as contend with non-working stop lights. I had thought there was a state law that intersections with stop lights became four way stops in the event of a power outage, but it seems that drivers thought the law indicated that speed limits are raised when approaching a non-working stop light.
I chose the under/over power line option, waited patiently at two non-functioning stoplights for the high speed drivers to pass and then lingered in a parking until a spot became available. Happily, folks seemed especially patient and appreciative for an open store, a hot coffee and yes, even for a parking spot. Especially as the world celebrates the arrival of the 7 billionth citizen, it’s good to know that in at least in a predicament of our current magnitude, people tend to reach out in kindness rather than retaliate with malice.