People in My Neighborhood
carpool intersections, week of Jan. 9

Monday: She works for the Gap Global Color Team, matching swatches of color on wool from Ecuador, cotton from the Philipines, silk from India. All from different mills, run by people, made by people. It needs to be matching.

Tuesday: They work for an inventor and allow ideas to become reality. The purity of Skyy vodka was born from a hangover. The new thing will be postit notes -- of any length! And, of course, chocolate liqueur. It needs to be made.

Wednesday: She works for the state supreme court. Laughing about Judge Alito hearings. A good litigator, but this is better for the health. Love for teasing out the subtleties of the law. It needs to be decided.

Thursday: He works for a biotech group. Developing biotech software at a local college. Working at home a few days, there is time to volunteer. Help kids learn to read. Not all parents care about homework. It needs to be taught.

Friday: He works for a design firm. Capturing a company's vision in cartoon. Four people listening, drawing one picture for hundreds of employees to see. And understand? Raising two kids, not two boys, thank goodness. It needs to be communicated.

So many people and stories and needs. Yet how often do we find ourselves not knowing what to do? Strange that we're so reluctant to ask.