There is something about the trip from Woodbridge back to Stamford on the Merritt Parkway that brings about a certain level of reflection for me, and today was no different. During my normal commute, I drive a 1997 Nissan Altima. It gets decent mileage, but if I'm traveling some distance and my wife Kim isn't, I take the Prius which gets much better mileage.

The Prius has a display which indicates which engines are supplying power to the wheels and I like to pay attention to it. Can I safely adjust my driving to get the best mileage, keeping traffic conditions and speed limits in consideration?

For longer trips, I like to just put the car on cruise control, so the question becomes more complicated in terms of when to let cruise control manage the acceleration and when to take over myself. I also find cruise control adds to a contemplative aspect of driving, going with the flow.

So, I had crossed the Housatonic River by the Sikorsky Aircraft headquarters over the bridge that replaced the old singing bridge. I was climbing up the hill towards Trumbull as traffic slowed down more than expected. I pulled into the passing lane, and saw a car with fire pouring out beneath the engine. It was driving along, slowly, as if nothing drastic was going on. I looked over in horror but the driver did not see my reaction. I'm just not sure how you signal to a driver that their car is on fire.

A little while later, a red-tailed hawk swooped out in front of my car and circled back. Was it an omen, was he trying to tell me something? I saw a state trooper come flying the other direction with lights flashing. I hoped he was on his way to assist the driver.

I don't get back to Stamford very often. Mostly, I am pulled back by some memory manifesting itself into the present. Today was no exception. I was on my way to the funeral of a remarkable woman I had met when Kim was running for State Representative.

I wasn't exactly sure of the best way to get to the funeral so I had the GPS on. It took me past many old memories, reminding me of the turns I used to take; past a school one of my daughters attended, past a church where a friend was active, past the house of a former co-worker. I passed one construction site which I believe used to be the chinese restaurant I would sometimes go to with Kim and whichever daughters were around. Fiona, in particular, loved to look at the fish swimming in the aquarium as we waited for our meal.

So, I made it to the funeral, full of the concern for the driver I had passed, memories of my time in Stamford, all of it balanced with the effort to drive mindfully, to maximize mileage while driving safely and taking in all the experiences around me, including the flight of the red tailed hawk.