Taking the pulse of San Francisco two days before the most consequential election in generations, I caught a glimpse of something very necessary in these times — hope. From the breakers at Ocean Beach to the middle of the city, residents were drinking up the sunny fall Sunday that looked pretty close to pre-pandemic times.
Along the Great Highway’s median, several dozen hand-painted signs were reflections of how the year has affected residents. A plea to “Bring Critical Thinking Back” and quotes from Dolores Huerta, Nina Simone, and others exhorted passersby with bright brushstrokes on plywood. Other sign makers got craftier and used sparkly buttons to remind folks to vote.
A few miles inland, the Golden Gate Park skating oval was moving and grooving to the musical stylings of Church of the 8 Wheels impresario David Miles, as it does most weekend afternoons.
Further east, near the Conservatory of Flowers, a coven of witches sat — socially distanced — to cast spells of democracy.
A few blocks east, democracy was definitely on the minds of voters who walked, rode, and drove up to the Park Branch Library on Page Street to drop their ballots at the official District 5 polling station.
One block further, residents in lawn chairs, on stoops, and leaning against walls found a different kind of stress relief: an afternoon concerto by local cellist Saul Richmond-Rakerd. His playlist included movements from Bach, a rendition of Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit,” and wistful version of the Beatles’ “Yesterday.”
It didn’t make our troubles seem so far away, but we could at least take a few deep breaths.
All photos by Kristi Coale.
