I drive a lot. Houston requires one to do so. And I drive on a lot of  freeways. I try to limit myself to the span of I-10, going as far west as Katy, where I work, and as far east as the Heights, where I love. But not a day goes by where I am not shocked and amazed at the sheer number of cars on the road. Now, this is not an ecological, environmental article where I make you feel guilty for driving that huge pick-up you drive because you feel the need to work from the pretense that you are an outdoorsman even though we all know you secretly cried at the end of The Notebook. No, this merely an observation about my daily existence.

Every day, I drive. And every day, I think… In every one of those cars is a driver worried about money. And that’s about it. I could add that almost every car is also worried either about their relationship (or that they are not in a relationship) and is struggling with greener grass issues. I could say that almost everyone in those cars does not like their job and dreams of vacations on a remote beaches.

But mainly, I think about them thinking about money. I think knowing every single person worries about money, somehow, humanizes the cars to me. When I am cut off or someone does not use their blinker, I am more apt to forgive them if I think, “Its okay. They are lost in thought, worried about money, rent, car payments.

I wonder what would happen if, just for a day, instead of worrying about money, we worried about the lack of music programs in schools. Or maybe we should worry about if we, as individuals, still have honor.