Inversion

Our first apartment was a south-facing, dark brick building on the upper floor.  It did not have air conditioning.  During the summer months, it often became stiflingly hot and -- because of the bricks -- stayed very warm until the sun came up again.  Sometimes we walked to the bookstore down the road so we could cool down.  It drew us in with the promise of comfort.

A few years later, various establishments began offering free internet access to their customers.  Our internet required a tether and was sometimes slow, and we didn't have any access at all when traveling.  So sometimes one or both of us would head to a bookstore or coffee shop for awhile to use the wi-fi they offered.  It drew us in with access to information that we wanted.

More recently, I have found myself away from my desk and with desk work to do.  Bookstores with coffee shops draw me in with space to work, wi-fi to work with, a sometimes-nice hubbub of activity around me, and a hot beverage to sip.

The air around here has been gunky lately, and many freeway message boards instruct:

POOR AIR QUALITY

DRIVE LESS

TRAVEL WISELY

I wonder when bookstores and coffee shops will install big purifiers and draw us in with clean, healthy air...