I am amazed at how people can find a natural sense of community within what appears to be a damaging depression. The fat cats promise we are moving out of the recession/depression, whatever they tagged it this time around, but I assure you from walking around areas that are not connected to a wealthy golf course, the people are struggling. I want to thank a couple of total strangers who have no idea that they have impacted my trip to such a degree. To the waiter at the restaurant we ate lunch at on Tuesday because even though we were obviously tourists on vacation and had money, he gave me a deal on my lunch because I ordered a bit of extra food. And to the fellow who worked in the pro shop at the second golf course, thank you for giving me a deal on the souvenirs of all things for my brothers. It didn't occur to me until I woke up this morning and took a bit of a walk to clear my head and run blood through a stiffening body from two rounds of golf in one day, but I recognized why these two total strangers did what they did. It felt understood between us that we are all connected to the difficulty facing our country and countries respectively. I could be wrong and maybe the waiter wanted a tip but there was no pay off for the second example, nothing made by the pro shop fellow, just a gesture of kindness more than likely based on his understanding of what is taking place in the world. If I am wrong, then call me naive because I would rather show some immaturity and believe in my fellows for even just a moment than to completely shut down the part of my being that is beginning to unravel such darkness as hopelessness.