peace. what's different?

When you leave and return to a place, you notice things. Aside from the higher bridge tolls and higher sales tax. Almost 10%, really? New fangled ways of living.

• Everybody owns an iPhone. 
• (yet) It's illegal to talk on said iPhone while driving. 
• The highways don radio signs (which slow traffic), advertising child abductions and the approximate times to various locations. 
• Sometimes the radio signs mention that texting tickets can be $159+ so they aren't worth it.
• There are texting tickets.
• Pedestrians have to stop, push a button and wait for the green walky guy at random sections of sidewalk/driveway. 
• Finding apartments is treacherous and include none of the utilities (not even sewage, people!)
• Cell phone plans count the minutes of incoming calls in addition to outgoing calls.
• You can have internet at home without owning a home phone.
• Light bulbs. What can I say, you are completely different!

• Meanwhile 880 is still a potholed ghetto highway, to be avoided (even though I live right off of it now).
• Those precarious radio stations, like 92.3, still change every other week, while KFOG still thrums acoustic sunrise and sunset on Sundays and KZSM goes crazy about the blues every Friday night.
• Happy revelers fly kites, play music and dance in the parks of San Francisco to celebrate spring.
• My old good friends are still my good friends, even though it's been years since we've kept in touch regularly.
• Peaceful moments are still peaceful moments. 

{via}

Right now the sun's setting in our living room, streaking it shades of yellow and deepening orange. Rowan's asleep in his swing, which swishes rhythmically. Kids squeal in play and kick around a soccer ball down at the park across the way. Blackbirds and wrens chirp. I'm rocking in the glider and typing, about to get myself some tea.