Freeway Empathy

As I drive home on the 10 freeway in Los Angeles, I find myself glancing to my right at the skyscrapers that dot the skyline. Each of those towers is full of people wrapping up their workdays, each with their own stories and hopes. And if I let my mind wander a bit further, I can picture the other side of town where 50,000 fans are gathering in Dodger Stadium, caught up in the excitement of a Dodgers-Phillies playoff game.

And then there’s the freeway itself, filled with cars that are as varied as the lives inside them. Some are a bit dented and worn, some are brand new, and all of us are dealing with the same everyday realities—filling up the tank, paying for insurance, managing a car payment or two.

In these moments, I realize how easy it is to forget the simple humanity around us. Social media and the news might try to convince us that everyone else’s life is perfectly curated or that we’re all defined by our political opinions. But when I look at the skyscrapers, the stadium, and the stream of cars, I’m reminded that we’re all just living our own unique, beautifully imperfect lives.

Maybe if we can hold onto that perspective—seeing the real people in the cars next to us, the workers in those tall buildings, and the fans cheering in the stands—we’ll find a little more empathy and a little more connection. After all, beneath the noise, we’re all just human beings making our way home.

 What will you pay more attention to this week?