I walked to the Wooden Shoe early. Met someone else headed the same place. No one there but one customer(?) and a woman behind the counter. She told us a story, a visit earlier in the week. A cop (she said he seemed embarrassed about what he was doing) ... asked her if maybe they needed any help?
Noooo...
Maybe you like to tell me something?
Noooo ...
Poor cop. They send a uniformed cop to an anarchist bookstore and he's supposed to ask if he they need his help!
I didn't want to wait another 45 minutes for people to show up, so walked to the Arch Street Methodist Church where we were to meet. Waited outside for an AAA meeting to finish up. Shared impressions and expectations with a young woman waiting by the door--really sharp. Reporter from the Philadelphia Weekly overheard us talking, asked if he could interview us.
Sure.
She was great! I hope he quotes her accurately. When he fed her media-sound-bite generating questions... What is the one single thing that ...
Fended this off beautifully--the reporter seemed only to be following convention and was happy to let our responses find other ground. Forgot how unnatural it is to stand and wait for someone to take my picture. She, wisely, declined.
6:30. Still only 15 or 20 people. Beginning to wonder if we should have stuck with the Wooden Shoe..then around 6:40, out of city hall, chanting and waving, a river of people... close to 400 I'd guess by the time we were all seated and ready to begin.
It was a long and exhausting meeting. Democracy is hard work!
I'll report on the meeting tomorrow.
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