IN THE ARCHIVES

It seems strange to me that my e-mails are archived. Doesn't that sound as though I have been writing for fifty years? At any rate, I decided to look at a couple to see what I wrote back when. I thought I'd post this one for starting December as Eureka, CA seemed like Christmas year round. Even in summer, it has a crisp goodwill sort of feel to it. Coincidentally, this message was written on 12/12. Back when, of course.

" On Tuesday, I boarded the Amtrak bus in Martinez and sat across the aisle from a woman who radiated sadness despite her red velour sweatsuit.After an hour or so I asked if I could borrow her book since she wasn't reading it. It was about how to help people in grief. Ordinarily I read very slowly but I finished the book by the time we arrived in Ukiah for our lunch break. I asked her name (it was Usha) and if she were traveling as far as Eureka and she said, yes, she was visiting her son-in-law who manages the Rodeway Inn. Then she burst into tears saying her daughter had died suddenly of a quick illnesss 15 days previous at age 26. I had just read the book but didn't know what to say. What a shock. I said a few things of no value whatsoever and then recommended page 137 in her book and she said she was going to read it right then. We were quiet for the rest of the trip. The Rodeway Inn is not far from me so on Friday, I stopped for a small living tree at Target and went over to give it to her. The person working at the desk was Devora which turned out to be a name she took up when there were too many Deborahs. It's Hebrew for Deborah. She said she had lived on the same street as Usha in Stockton before moving here and we talked about Usha's daughter.

On Saturday, I walked to the co-op. There was a tired but brave bell ringer. I asked him to sing something. He balked but croaked out two lines of  "I'll Fly Away." I said, "That's a great start!" and went in. I browsed a long time and when I came out, he had a big smile on his face and sang the complete verses of, "Because He Lives." He asked me if I knew it. I said, "Indeed!" He exclaimed, "You're a Christian!" Well yes,  of a Quakery kind. 

Today was mildly blustery and I saw hopelesness on the street and Dog was not in his yard but I was uplifted by having met Usha and the Bell Ringer."

My writing hasn't changed much, has it?