Small Town, Isn't It?

Someone called my name as I was waiting on my yoga mat to begin my second "Gentle Yoga" class in the Castro. It was Sherrie Sawyer, whom I had just seen last week at an SFOP (San Francisco Organizing Project) meeting to work on encouraging the state legislature to extend existing taxes, and not solve the current deficit entirely by cutting much-needed government services to the poor and middle class.

I approached her after the class and asked her to join me for lunch, which she did. We went to a crepery in the same block, one that I had been meaning to try for some time, and were joined there by the teacher of the class. We had a great chat over lunch and learned that we were both inactive members of the California Bar. We also talked about how each of us had become involved in community organizing, and what we were each working on at the moment. Inasmuch as it was raining, and she mentioned that she had brought a car, I asked where she was headed and she dropped me off in Noe Valley on her way home.

I did the two chores I had planned, at the drugstore and Radio Shack, and then ran into Lisa Larges, a dear friend of mine, who was on her way to Radio Shack with her friend Beth, to do some chores of her own. I was in no particular hurry, and wanted to chat with Lisa a bit, so I went back into the store with them and helped Lisa (who is blind) by reading info from the packaging to her. Then we visited two other stores that were on my way home, and I heroically managed to avoid buying anything else. Then I peeled off towards my home while they headed in the other direction.

I love bumping into friends while out and about. It's like a gift from the universe. I seem to hear it saying: "I know you need to see others but aren't good at calling or writing them to arrange a get-together, so I'll help you get started and drop some folks in your lap. But don't get used to it."