tonight i drove home from work around 9pm, just when the fireworks in Los Angeles were starting up. Silly me, thinking there would only be a few spots in the city that would be hosting major fireworks. On the drive up 110 and the 405, on a simple 20 minute drive, I passed about 12 different sets of bigtime fireworks. It was a beautiful sight (with some lovely sounds too) but also a bit distracting to the drivers. I had to be extra careful with driving, as it seemed most drivers were attempting to place one eye on fireworks — in front, to the side, behind the head — while keeping the other eye on the road.

i got to thinking about events in los angeles that facilitate the actual physical gathering of people. there are quite a number, but this day’s events seemed so wonderful, and i saw families with babies and elderly folks walking home from the local fireworks in my town, and tons of folks riding their bikes back, after talking and ooh-ing and aah-ing with people they knew and others they just met that day, sitting on the blankets or the open grass next to them. and earlier in the day, i saw a wonderfully diverse group of people bbq’ing in the park near our house — latinos and whites and blacks and kids and old folks alike. can’t help feeling like this is one of the few times where people freely celebrate together — people who wouldn’t otherwise be invited to similar events in other settings.

i hung out with some friends after getting home from work. we had our own post-fireworks gatheration. and we discussed some logistics behind the “medical clinic / legal clinic / microfinancing / temporary housing / community space / organic farm” idea i’ve had for a while. they’d just seen the movie SICKO and were ready to support an innovative model of delivering just and humane health care. it was rad talking to friends who aren’t in medicine about this idea. got some good business tips and sustainability coaching for the idea. i feel like i’ve got friends in high places, ones who are willing and ready to help make this thing work. sweet :>