Months Back in Tucson

When I first came back from Guatemala, I greeted people as I passed them on the street. That didn't last long.

This part of central Tucson, close to Park Mall, has a few 5- or 6-floor office buildings, suburban-type neighborhoods built in the 1950's, and an obligatory strip mall at every major intersection. It's not built at all for foot traffic. Even in the neighborhoods, at the small parks, you don't see many pedestrians. So it's not like being in New York, where greeting is impossible; it's just that we're very closed.

We're accustomed to traveling by automobile, sealed off from our surroundings. The principal way we interact with others is to show them our middle finger or honk.

I thought driving would feel odd after 5 months of abstinence, but I was wrong. After only a few minutes, I was completely at home behind the wheel.