They say that the Southern California car culture is isolating. It’s hard to argue with that, when everyone’s shut up in their own little boxes. But today, on my way to work (delayed a bit on account of dentist), I was listening to KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic and stopped at a traffic signal. They were playing a live version of Elvis Costello’s “Allison.” I looked in my rear view mirror, and realized that the driver behind me was singing along to the same song. Even though it only went one way—she had no way of knowing I was listening to the same music—it was still a moment of connection through shared experience.
I like moments like that.
Of course, I like just about any time I see someone enjoying music in his or her car – especially if I can’t hear it. (Oddly enough, I don’t get that same positive feeling when someone’s listening to hip hop, despite my fondness for the genre.)