Crowds

I don't like crowds much. I've been taking the MAX train into work the past few days because of the snow. It saves me a lot of hassle driving in crappy weather on dangerous roads with other drivers. There are trade-offs, though.

Like the press of people.

I just stepped off the train going home, to sit in a coffee shop, write this, and get away from the jam packed train car I was in. The peace I feel is real. The pace is slow and relaxing. The coffee isn't the greatest, but it's hot, and the place has ambiance to spare. If you ever get to Beaverton, Oregon, check out Urban Rhythms - At The Round coffee shop.

What drives us at times to want aloneness, yet at others to avoid it? Is it a desire to know ourselves or escape ourselves? Is it neither, or both?