Don't dream it. Be it.

Don't dream it, be it.

There are some days that will stay with us forever, days that inspire us, days that seem endless and so short, days that sustain us.  San Francisco has given me one of those days.

I have to admit I wasn't over enamoured with SF on our first day, the hassle and the Disney... Two extremes that just didn't sit right with me, so I had thought maybe it was all going to be like that and we set off in th morning thinking 'well, New York was amazing' BUT BUT BUT... Then the sun was shining with a cooling breeze, the tall mansion like houses, with their huge columns painted bright colours, gold leafing on the frescos,  rainbow flags flying got inside me.  We walked down into Castro and I feel uplifted, I know it all sounds rather trite, but it's true... Castro was everything I thought it would be, beautiful, brash, open, almost like a dream, some where to aspire to in a very real sense.  We walked past the theatre (I feel like howling as we have just missed a showing of JCS, WITH actual TED NEELY....) 

 And it is perfect.  As we walk we explain some of the history of this area to Daisy, just why it is so important and she is so very interested, really wants to know more.  We stop outside what was the camera shop owned by Harvey Milk and inside is now a shop which sells merchandise supporting equality, we all buy gifts for people we love at home and each other, Daisy proudly wearing her love equality dog tag as we leave the shop.  We carry on wandering, just being part of somewhere that is as important to us as other historical sites we have visited across Europe, the history as relevant.  Daisy asks why they are not taught Gay history at school, to which there is no answer and she is insistent we visit the GLBT museum just off Castro, which is informative and fun.

We are emotional. The sun is shining and it all just feels perfect.  We walk to find the Flower Seller, one of the reasons we decided to come to SF on this trip.  The tree lined streets with their beautiful houses just seem so intensely beautiful.  People pass us walking their tiny little dogs, carrying armfuls of flowers smile and say hi. And there he is.  When we came across the documentary  We Were Here last year, Sam and I watched it through tears.  At once terrifyingly sad and truly inspirational, it has stayed with me constantly, as I know from reading on the film makers public forums it has with everyone that has watched it.  I felt so changed by the experience I had wanted to find the people in the film and thank them for sharing with me their most intimate thoughts and memories.  Being politically active  at University in the late 80's early 90's, being a passionate gay rights supporter and the working in the theatre at the time of the AIDS epidemic was horrific and polarising for me, it shaped who I am now.  And now, working with young people AIDS almost has been consumed into normal life, it is not seen as the most scary, terrifying thing that can happen.  Which is both good and bad and we we keen that Daisy knows and understands this part of history.  When we watched it together as a family, we all cried again.

The moment I see Guy, I start to cry, as I am now.  He is just right there, on the street corner, chatting to a young man that we later learn is training to be a doctor in the area.  he turns to us and smiles and then lets out the biggest laugh and we can not help but laugh too!!  Guy is amazing, we tell him why we have come and he is genuinely happy, he hugs us all, laughs his big big laugh.  We talk to him about why his story moved, our whole family so much and he just tells us so many stories! When he hitched around Europe, when visited Endland (Stockport) why he left Baltimore, telling us about the parade he was in recently (wrist, wrist, elbow elbow, just how the English wave) and I am totally in love.  He is so genuinely here, so happy to see us and I love sharing this with my family and we all cry and we all hug.  We are reminded that life goes on, that people are happy and survive and we are inspired.  This moment, the pastel colours of the houses, the little dogs being walked, the smell of Guys flowers and his laugh will be with me in my heart always.

There is more, of course.  Haight Ashbury with Daisy, Buena vista park, the joss sticks, the hippies (still), Amoeba records, the shop with the animal skulls, the steam punk  shops Daisy falls in love with, dinner at the Sausage Factory later, much later. But for me this morning in Castro is it.  My moment.