Color me...Blind.

So, back to Carmel. Tuesday, May 15.


As I noted, nice little town. And whenever I go somewhere alone, I have two requirements: good martinis and a bar where I can sit and eat.

They recommended Grasings, a popular Carmel eatery and bar. Rather than tell a story, $1.00 per bleu cheese olive. Not to mention that attitude when I told the bartender: "Kevin at The Getaway Inn" told me to come here. The bartender replied, brusquely: "I don't know him." Most people with class would say: "Great. Nice to hear that! What can I get you?" What can you get me? How about a check!

I then stopped someone on the street and said: "where can I get GOOD seafood and not pay ridiculous prices. They said Flaherty's which I went to, had the sand dabs and the mussels and clams, all a hit.

And that's where I met Donna and Erik, referenced in the previous post. Right from the start, we engaged each other. Then the conversation turned to politics and then, the obvious. yes..She was a country fan and I loved rock n'roll.

No, silly. She is Black. I am White. And then we got down to business. When I told her I was Jewish, we got into a discussion about how the Black/Jewish Civil Rights partnership and bond, went off the rails.  The two communities used to be 'ascloseasthis' (<an old gossip columnist trick to emphasize how two stars were intimate).

We talked about white merchants in Black neighborhoods. We talked about movies? Movies? yeah..West Side Story, The Pawnbroker. Movies that emphasized the division, not the unity.

We discussed 'white flight,' mistrust, real estate steering, etc.

I asked them what it was like being an interracial couple. Donna shared that. We also hoped that today's various gender and racial communities truly understand the journey that took them to where they are today-and mostly enjoy. No firehoses, attacks dogs, no gay bar raids and police beatings--OK..YES! They DO still exist and every day we fight to change hearts and minds but we have evolved, though our current C-I-C has worked to short circuit that evolution.

We parted ways, hugged and I had enjoyed doing what I do best.Communicating. It wasn't until I get an email the next day, that I realized just how much we communicated.

Walked back to the Inn and prepared for my long trip the next day, Yosemite. Truly, a walk through nature.

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