My intention Saturday was to head up to the Library to hear live music but was diverted by the scene on First. Families, local and out-of-towners, dogs in baby strollers, babies in dog strollers, and little kids in wagons were celebrating. REMAX arranged for the Easter Bunny to sit in front of their office for photo ops. He might have been a teenage bunny as I spied a tat above his pink fuzzy gloves. Assistants Rachel and Claudia welcomed passers-by to free photo shoots with the rabbit of the hour and a chance to win $100 in downtown Benicia bucks. Children with wrinkled brows studied their egg hunt forms on the prettiest day of the year, so far. Three women eating at an outside table, one sported a fur piece around her neck. A second look revealed a miniature white poodle with his head resting on his mistresses’ shoulder, eyes closed. His long, silky ears were artfully draped across her upper back, with the insouciance that only a French poodle can exhibit. “Rocky is 15 years old,” the owner said, and gets tired after being out for awhile.” Further up the Street in front of Coldwell Banker was an old fashioned popcorn wagon and next to it a red enameled cart with “Cotton Candy” inscribed on the front. The vendor was spinning sticky, pink clouds of sugar onto paper cones, handing them to excited children and dubious parents.
As a member of Carquinez Village, I participated in an inspirational and fun event Thursday, helping to paint two murals alongside teens from the Kyle Hyland Foundation Teen Center. Founders Barbara Gervase and husband George Hyland tragically lost their son Kyle to suicide in 2014. They quit their jobs — Barbara a scientist worked in viral and cancer research — and embarked on a program to help teens in need of emotional, educational, and other support. For the past eight years they, their daughter Gabi, volunteers, and donors have made that intention a reality. Barbara gave artist Joyce Byrum and me a tour of the Center, a comfortable, rented home in a residential neighborhood, the walls lined with colorful paintings created on site —a spacious living room, fully outfitted music room, basement game room, generously supplied art room, and a quiet room. “It’s about music and art,” Barbara said, “two of Kyle’s passions.” George Hyland was behind the kitchen counter handing out an ice cream bar as I read the culinary options — hot foods, beverages, and snacks for sale for next to nothing plus free healthy snacks of granola and yogurt. Their major fundraiser in September will be a 1970’s costume party in the spacious backyard with food, band (their own) and dancing. Foundation initiatives include mental health programs, counseling, mentoring, and school partnerships.
Out in the yard, about 10 of us seniors and an equal number of teens gathered around the canvases while we all joked and kidded about our painting skills, shared our musical preferences – Elvis was a winner with everybody — and ate pizza.What a “blast” it was, as we used to say, to “hang” with these young folks who were so bright, kind, and funny. A senior named Elliot painted a huge brown squirrel in the middle of our mural which challenged us to fill in around it. “What is the current teen word for ‘cool.” I asked him. “Cool is still cool,” somebody answered. Sirr, who graduated two years before had fashioned a toga out of a sheet to protect his new shirt, painted himself in miniature in front of the Godzilla sized squirrel. When I got home and was changing out of my paint clothes, discovered long pieces of blue masking tape struck to the back and laughed as I peeled off each strip. Does this make me cool?
Back on First, my sister, two friends and I happened upon a rare site — an Oriental Shorthair cat named Daisy ensconced in her stroller, her elegant brown head appearing periodically to check us out. We pulled out our phones to capture the scene on video. Turns out Daisy has a YouTube channel. “Daisy’s Diary: Benicia Downtown Walking Tour #2” features the feline touring downtown, her long, striped arms resting on the front of the buggy. The film is very cleverly produced with soundtracks appropriate for each scene — Pink Panther for when she’s stalking, ferocious growl when she’s displeased. Suddenly I saw my sister in the video and then noticed that all four of us had been filmed taking pictures of Daisy and were in the YouTube segment. The mind is boggled as I write about watching a video where each of us is making a video of a cat with her own videographer videotaping us and then putting it on YouTube. It’s all so confusing.
Sarah Beserra is an artist, collector, Dharma practitioner, and former lobbyist.
Letters From Benicia 