The Regular Crowd

You know you've settled into a comfortable position as employed commuter when you begin to recognize the cars heading downtown with you each day. They're not all familiar, of course, but a certain few stick out, making you feel part of a regular crowd.

Of course, when the car you repeatedly spot during the morning rush is a maroon station wagon covered in peeling political bumper stickers and festooned with red, white, and blue bunting and two miniature American flags, you begin to wonder exactly what sort of regular crowd you've joined.

I'm thinking about leaving for work five minutes earlier tomorrow.