WEST COAST HOLIDAY #1 San Francisco — Dec 19 to 26, 2009
Planes, trains, and everything but automobiles, Nothing says public transportation like San Francisco. How cool is it to step onto a cable car dressed in a long black wool coat, beautiful Italian leather black boots, red beret, warm micro-fiber scarf wrapped just so, and with a quick flick of an all purpose public transportation pass you gain admission to one of the many ways to get from point A to point B in San Francisco and its surrounding areas.
Add to that image, cable cars dressed in holiday regalia with each car a reflection of its driver. Some very elaborate – from stem to stern – some looking like a quick stop at Kmart. We’re in the Embarcadero area surrounded by sights and sounds of a proud city coaxing the reluctant consumer to harken forth with credit card in hand — ka-ching! We felt smug. We left Phoenix Dec 19 having delivered or mailed all holiday gifts and shopping is nowhere on our agenda.
The view from the hotel really sets the mood. The San Francisco Wharf, Bay, skating rink, trolley cars, set the stage. Enjoy the moment …and we did for the rest of the week!
My sister, Julie, gave us a curious tip to something that we “must see”. We have visited San Francisco on many occasions but mostly it was a purpose driven visit, mostly three or four days, and always packed with the sights and sounds described in every tour book. The Glide Memorial Methodist Church, she said, will be unforgettable.
We’re lucky. Our first full day was Sunday, it’s the height of the Holiday
Season, we have nothing planned for our visit and we’re up early. We get to the church early -8:30AM for a 9AM service. We’re in the Tenderloin District. It’s overcast. Everyone is hugging, smiling — big hugs, big smiles. Old people, young people, distinguished looking people, people wearing barely enough to keep them warm. Fat and skinny. Neighbors and visitors. Methodists, Jews, Catholic, Atheists, Episcopalians, gay, straight, black, white, yellow, brown. Some mentally and physically handicapped. Some are leaders in the community — even bankers, lawyers and Indian chiefs. But one thing is for sure. It was the most genuine show of kindness, caring and affection than any other church I’ve ever been in. We had no idea what we were in for but a quick Google search gave us enough background to understand why everyone was there
Forty years ago, a young black minister came to town and ministered to a few wealthy families and shared baked goods every week. It didn’t take long for him to question his purpose and decided his ministry was to bring in all those lost souls that are found on city streets, They were/are homeless, addicted, beaten up by despair, and waiting for something like death to take away their pain. With a philosophy of inclusion, a support system for basic needs, and training programs, the Glide Memorial Methodist Church gives their participants a sense of extraordinary pride. The founder, Rev Cecil Williams founded the 100 member choir to harness the talent in the population of his ministry. Rev. Williams has saved thousands oflives http://www. glide.org/Ensemble.aspx
We left the church awestruck, energized, and feeling that we had just seen and heard the best holiday music celebration the city had to offer. We had conversations with our seat mates on either side of us. | spoke with a Jewish family from Florida. He is a heart surgeon and their three kids were in tow. They were there to share an experience that their kids would be sure to remember. Mike spoke with a gentleman who has been going there about a year and described his reasons, He was particularly struck that even atheists have found this church to give them enough to keep them coming back.
We walk a couple of blocks to the cable car to Nob Hill. How’s that for contrast!
Later…..Tia and Mike
