Doing this from memory: Patti Cathcart, with Tuck’s guitar; Rachel Baiman, Roberta Lea, the late great Echo Brown to whom I am trying to produce a tribute; that’s only three I thought there were six; but I want to relate a story about the Harvard grad and retired doctor who drove down from afar last night and is a big fan of….thinking..damn am I sleep deprived…my headliner last night…Lizzie No and she deserves the group of No-heads or what-not and he said he was at my Roberta Lea show but did not remember that also on the bill was Rachel Baiman who is one of only two acts to have played the guild in MP before earthwise whereas there are 10 or more the other direction (Charlie Hunter, Mother Hips, Galactic, Molly Tuttle) and I said I had two female troubadours traveling with their husbands whose paths happened to cross in Palo Alto by Earthwise at Johnson Park. And this was October a week or so after terrorists killed 1,000 people mostly women and many at a music festival in Israel. And in one case Rachel was traveling with George a fellow fiddle player, from New Zealand; but Roberta was traveling with her husband who is also her tour manager; and when I explained to him — his name and number are in my phone but not my head in this instance and I did call him more recently and thank him again or re-ignite or kindle this narrative or my view of it– that as a Jew I am particularly triggered may not have been my word at the time, affected by the massacre and attack. And I gave a basic speech about worst case scenarios and emergency procedures. And he said something to the effect — which has brought up wells of emotion when I re-tell this — “I am a Marine and I am trained to help you in those situations” which he did not have to say but he did and I thank him.

But interestingly and I may be wrong the Harvard guy who is about 72 and Vietnam Era and maybe a Jew maybe not I thought he started to say and I excuse myself from the small talk circle that Roberta Lea might be advocating for the so-called “cease-fire’ which to Jews and Israeli’s is like condoning the terrorists and potentially antisemitic in itself. In terms of harassment, not sure the segue, the intent of the speaker is irrelevant by today’s customs. So people who think they are somehow helping civilians as human shields but are actually encouraging pogroms against Jews here are still in the wrong, I am so sorry to say. I am so sorry that smart and well-meaning and talented people are also ignorant.

And with the Fourth Estate in shambles and Democracy weakened it may come to pass, that despite starting with “fair play to those who dare to dream” we may be writing a tombstone aphorism for our way of life.

And as I wrote that I felt a small red bracelet on my strong hand right hand bite at me: its $5 or so from European Cobbler on Cali Ave — sight of my April 18 upcoming event – lord willing and the crick don’t rise and it somehow references Taylor Swift but I will leave it in a planter, outside the VZ cafe here.