I am a skunk.

I live in a busy area. To the left is one of the busiest intersections in town - St Francis Circle. To the right is one of the busiest intersections in town - 19th Ave (AKA Hwy 1. You can turn left going southbound!) and Sloat. There are always rumbling tractor trailers, screeching tires, and reeving motors serenading us just out side the window. It's fine. It's city noise. Everybody needs to get somewhere.

But this morning when I stepped out to to go work, there were two skunks looking at me, right in front of the door.

I was struck my a number of things. First, that such creatures exist. Aren't skunks only in cartoons? Second, that they existed in front of my house. They had fur and were not wearing a collar. Third, that they could afflict me with their superpower of smell. What would I do? I would smell. Bad. Forever. Forth, that I looked just like them. They were black and white. I was black and white. Their white stripe was across their back. Mine was around my neck. I am a skunk.

I think my doppelgangers recognized our similarity in appearance and regarded it fondly because the left me alone and wandered off. I don't know if they considered me one of their own, or just had other things to do. Probably the latter. Everybody is busy it seems. Even skunks.