On the Bus for ObamaOctober 2008

Travelling from Santa Cruz to Denver here are some of the people I observed from 8:40 am Sunday to 9:30 pm Monday:

Signing deaf couple in their late 20's.

3 teenagers all in stylish hoodies smoking smoking smoking.

Pretty college girl with MacBookPro studying astrophysics with great focus.

Woman in her 50's dressed in pink with elaborate pink head scarf; a tattooed star on each big toe.

Young hispanic woman working in jewelry store tried to replace my watch battery but failed saying "it doesn't work". She put the old one back and gave me a nice smile as I left.

Faded man in his 60's wearing an Obama button. He said he was looking forward to being rid of the fascists.

Black man in 40's who watches TV sports religulously. Could not fathom that I have no cable TV at home. He looked proud when I marvelled at the gorgeous sculpted ceiling in the Oakland Greyhound station.

Intellectual fellow in 50's reading poetry while waiting for bus rather than talking on cell or listening to iPod. On inquiry it was French poetry; actually old French which he said was easier.

53 year old grandmother travelling from Sacramento to New York non-stop to surprise her daughter and niece for their birthdays. Could not stop talking. Logorrhea is the word.

Two young gay (to my perception) Hispanic men traveling from Utah to Texas via Denver. Knew no English whatsoever.

Many many young people travelling by bus waiting expectantly for the next rest stop so they could smoke.

Mother travelling with 2 of her 4 children. The darling 18 month old reaching reaching for the overhead light button with great determination.

3 surgeons in Chinese restaurant comparing notes about new protocols and techniques in liposuction.

3 policemen eating in Mexican restaurant overheard animatedly talking about their favorite pornography while wearing full belts with gun, handcuffs, club, and walkie-talkie.

Attractive black woman with a sweet smile and laugh poring over a style and beauty magazine.

Young sweet Chinese woman with perfect teeth including chopsticks on request with my medium spicy family style tofu and rice.

A crisply dressed businessman in the Comfort Inn in downtown Denver looking very serious and competent. I suspect he felt like he was slumming it - he'd rather have been at the Ritz-Carlton but ...

A dread-locked taxi driver with an unknown accent (Arabic?) wondering why Denver put its new airport 25 miles from town.

A bus driver fearfully over-reacting when a man in his 60's questions his authority. Driver ends up evicting the man from the bus.

Friendly truck driver who plays a space video game on his laptop.

Aging lonely man taking a torturous sleep-depriving bus trip while pretending it is ritualistic conceptual art for Obama and quasi-literarily blogging his adventures.

We are all Americans.
How will we vote?