Waking up in Oakland

Grabbing my gym bag, lunch bag, purse, and keys, I petted Nora one last time and wound my way out of my house through two doors and two gates to E 15th Ave. As I unlocked my car, I saw amidst the fog a Latino mom down the street walking her two young children to school. Perhaps they were headed to Think College Now, an elementary school about four blocks away where children are taught to prepare for "college now" and parents are required to spend 15 minutes reading to their kids onsite in the morning.

I piled my stuff into my backseat and started the engine to defrost the windows. Heading out of E 15th, I turned left then right to end up on International Blvd and begin the three mile journey north to downtown Oakland.

Before making the usual veer toward 880N, I saw ahead the blue and red flashing and almost without a choice, changed course to head straight ahead like a bug caught in the brightness. What new violence had hit my neighborhood this morning? After a few blocks, it was clear that the street was blocked off. A white cop stood in the middle of the street and motioned with his arms for me to make a u-turn. There was no way around or outlet to turn left or right. A 180 was the only option.

To be continued...