My adventure to the west coast necessitated people making room for me. My oldest son and his wife gave me a comfy air mattress. My sister swiveled her futon into a bed. They each saved a seat for me in their cars, and at meals, even when we went to a crowded restaurant with tables barely wide enough for two pizzas. 

Something else I noticed was that everywhere I stayed there was shared space. Our oldest son and his wife have a roommate to help with expenses. Our second son and his wife, as well as my sister rent basement apartments from landlords who hold the mortgage. The Airbnb was a subsection of a woman's home who welcomed the income. It appears that it makes sense to coexist. 

There are concessions that must be worked out, such as which days you can do laundry. Yet it can potentially be a win/win, in that everyone's bank account suffers less of a drain. That leaves more cash flow for food, and, come to think of it, traveling. 

Lyft is another innovation for cooperation. We took one to the Hollywood Bowl and avoided the hassle of driving. Parking was a non issue and our driver made a few bucks. 

One of the places I visited in Oakland was the Montessori school my sister's grandchildren attend. There were stations for measuring, washing windows, numbers, and feeding the turtle. One attribute of importance to Maria Montessori was that children be capable. It showed up when we went out for ice cream. My three year old great nephew not only threw away his own cup, but offered to toss everyone else's as well. Each time it entailed heaving open the heavy door between us and the trash can. He did it five times. 

Another lesson that gets prime time attention in every preschool I  have ever seen is sharing. Taking turns. 

Which make me wonder if we are all still enrolled in a kind of cosmic preschool, learning how to get along nicely.