Moments on the interstate

[mtbc]

While driving on I-40W this afternoon I had a couple of quietly notable moments. First, I saw a sign,

Knoxville 12
12 mi or 19 km

and I wondered why that sign in rural Tennessee would be one of the very few I notice mentioning kilometers, let alone devoting half of its content to the conversion. Later, on the same road, in the middle lane of five, cruise control fitting in just fine among the Knoxville downtown traffic, I had the afternoon sun on me and the radio turned up for Steve Winwood's Valerie and I noticed that I really felt at home, that I was back in the right kind of place again.