Night Driving

I love to drive at night. There’s something amazing about driving past a stranger’s home, a yellow-orange glow coming from the windows, and a scene is captured. As you drive by a single moment is there, but for most it happens to quickly to notice. But it is a moment that will never happen in the same way again, and you are the only witness. Everything in that moment, from the outside looking in, is perfect. All is in harmony and all is well. They are home, in their element. No guarded walls or social fronts are put forth, and they are relaxed and pure. Sometimes you see a family gathered around the dinner table, or playing a game, or cleaning up from their meal. Sometimes you see a husband and wife, the years of their life visible on their faces, reading in their favorite chairs in their library. Or sometimes you see a woman lovingly playing with her dog. When I hear a car drive by, I wonder what moment they are seeing from my home, and if they paused to appreciate it. Whatever is depicted in these moments, it’s perfect. There can be no conflict, no tension, and no hardship in that one single scene.