it ain’t me, babe

I found myself at the San Luis Obispo’s farmer’s market yesterday. Since the market is held on Higuera Street from 6-9pm, this was like me pulling an all-nighter. Seriously. At 5:15 I strolled into Boo Boo Records on Monterey and got lost looking in the used CD bins until six. From there it was a block downhill to the market.

When I woke quite early Thursday morning I had no intention or even a thought to make an appearance at the farmer’s market. Past the window of bedtime. But, as has been the case often these last two weeks here in SLO, the day apparently had its own plans for me – from 9am on, with a way later journey to Starbucks than usual. And eating meatballs and an avocado at 4:30 (Oh my head!!) had me out on a walk-after-eating stroll toward town. Then I see the market setting up, then I’m in Boo Boo’s, and then I’m walking the five or six blocks down the middle of the closed market street thinking maybe I’d see someone I know – sounds like more magical thinking.

But, the day wasn’t through with me. On Nipomo back toward ‘home’ I’m walking up from town when someone steps in front of me and says, “I love her. That’s Kathleen Hanna,” referring to the ‘Kathleen Hanna for President’ long-sleeve t-shirt I’d thrown over my shoulder walking out the door an hour earlier, and had slipped on over my tank-top with the chill. She was a young woman with jean shorts and an orange sweatshirt, and I said Kathleen is my hero in life because she has more courage than anyone and Jayne (her name) said hers too, and we talked Riot Girl and deep courage, and I mentioned I’d just moved to town three weeks ago and didn’t know anyone and she said she’d moved from Orange County two months ago and didn’t really know anyone.

So, I took a deep breath and was clear this wasn’t a date thing – I’m 76 I said, rather annoyingly (to me) – and asked if she might want to get a coffee sometime and talk about Kathleen and the Riot Girls and other cool stuff and Jayne said yes, and gave me her number. So I got back and texted her mine, with big thanks to her and the Universe, and maybe I’ll get to know someone who just might be kin.