Workmen’s fumes set off a fire alarm in the hotel in the early am hours. The warning system continued as people exited the stairs peacefully. “Hey lady, your back pack zippers are all open” A kind German tourist told me. I closed them up and joined in conversation with the group of 3 women on the street at 4:30 am.
We talked about the things we felt important enough to exit with during the fire exit. Camera’s were number 1 cell phones number 2. nothing else mattered. I exited the stairwell along with my Inman roommate, Mara Hawks of Auburn, Alabama. She is a blogger on http://activerain.com/blogs/mhawks. We all set out to find a coffee shop open that early. Sure enough the kind lady in the Starabucks that opened at 5 am told us about the 24 hour one open 2 blocks away. Our Tea party began. Two were coffee but I don’t care. The words don’t work “coffee party” We had a wonderful conversation with the German and American versions of the world. We laughed, we cried, and we talked of Hillary Clinton who we all wanted to win. (You cried? someone might say) Yes, after meeting strangers in less than one hour we talked of a story that brought us to tears: the death of a bird and the 4th grader who rode her bike to find her peace over the loss-”Mom, I just wanted to feel the wind in my face the way he did as he flew to heaven.” We left the area
Auburn Alabama Germany Hillary Clinton mara hawks San francisco starbucks
