Mo~zy Meets Senator Bill Bradley: The Inside Scoop (in collaboration with Maureen Sullivan Stemberg)

Last week I received an email from Mo~zy inviting me to be her guest on Wednesday evening, April 4th to hear Bill Bradley speak at the First Church in Cambridge, an event sponsored by the The Harvard Coop.  Having read Bradley's book,  I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to hear the Senator's  take  on the choices  common Americans, like I,  have to make to get  America back on track as well as to meet a fellow Gatherite I only knew in print.  What a rare opportunity for a school night.  I was hooked!  After emailing my  acceptance,  apprehension came into play.  I had seen the images on her site, reread some of her articles  and said to myself, "Oh dear, what have you gotten yourself into my girl!"  Weird thoughts went through my head...little country mouse goes out on town with  swank city mouse....what on earth will we ever talk about?  How should I dress?  Will we have anything in common?  Over the week-end I talked with Will  Evans, my son, and he assured me that I would do just fine.  "Just be yourself Mom, she'll like you as you are.  She's really a wonderful person and supports all the liberal causes you do."  So on Sunday I sent Mo~zy a new email saying that maybe we should collaborate on a piece about the book talk.  A return email from her stated, "Great minds think alike and we can publish it in the new group." 

So, yesterday in the rain, sleet and snow this little country mouse in her LLBean parka, fleece hat, wool  handmade socks, and brown birkenstocks made her way to Cambridge and parked illegally near a Church on Brattle Street.  Trudging through the puddles of slush, rain pouring down, I was thankful that I was forty-five minutes early for the event, maybe I could find a lady's room and make myself more presentable...because right then, I felt like a dripping wet rag!!  Both the side door facing Mason Street and the front door was locked and I thought, "Oh no, is this not the place".  But then a kind man with a camera bag on his shoulder told me another side door on the otherside was open.  I entered into a small entryway.  Immediately I saw a ladies room behind a stairwell.  Relief...I can clean up...dry out...and no one will be the wiser! As I entered the bathroom who should I see but Mo~zy standing at the mirror brushing out her hair, sable coat over her arm. 

"You must be Mo~zy!" I said as I looked her up and down.  She smiled and said, "And you are Bob."

As we hugged, I said, "You look just like your picture on your site.  I would have known you anywhere." And that is the truth.  Mo~zy is definitely a sophiscated, uptown woman dressing in Gucci boots, Armani pants,  and a beautiful Chanel sweater.  The sparkle you can see on her site photo is most likely from Tiffany and Co....it's big, let me tell you. 

As we were early, we decided to sit on the stairs and talk because as yet they were not allowing people to go into the main room.  We talked about Gather, some other Gatherites, and we talked about the questions we might ask Bill Bradley.  All of a sudden a young Chinese girl, Amy by name, asked if we were there to hear Bill Bradley.  Why of course, we said, did you think we came out in this weather to sit on a stairwell?  She then told us we would have to go outside and enter through the main doors, which I probably would have done but then I hear out of the mouth of Mo~zy, "Excuse me, we already have our tickets and three books to boot...we're not going outside.  Can't we go through that door into the hall?"

"You really have to go through the main door", said Amy.

"Outside?  I don't think so...we've been waiting on the staircase here for forty-five minutes,  I do believe we can go through that door and we will check in at the table,"  Maureen said nicely, though her look could have cut through cheese, brie of course, not cheddar!  With that we walked through the side door and was quite surprised to see well over 250 people in attendance  and Bill Bradley up at the podium ready to speak. 

Back at the Check-in table Mo~zy introduced us, "Hi, my name is Maureen Sullivan Stemberg and this is Elizabeth Evans, and we are from Gather. Is there any chance we could have front row seats?"  Quickly we were escorted to the front left...a good sign I thought!  As I took my seat, I laughingly said, "Looks like we are official Gather reporters!"  Mo~zy laughed and asked me once again, "Will is coming isn't he?  We may need his help."  I assured her that he would show which he did several minutes later.

We were mesmerized by the Senator's speech as well as by the thoughtful answers he gave to the questions coming from the audience.  All too soon it was over and those people who wanted books to be signed were guided to a long line.  Standing quite far back, Mo~zy made a sign to Amy, the Harvard Coop runner and asked if we could have a photo-op with the Senator since we were from Gather.  Without hesitating, Amy guided us up to the Senator where we had our own "little private interview" ....much more about that in the article we will publish on Sunday...but I can tell you the conversation was quite lively.  After Maureen introduced us as Reporters from Gather, I casually mentioned, "And Bill, Maureen never got to pose her question despite her hand being raised the whole time."  At which point, Bill said, "And Maureen what was your question?"  At which point, she forgot all the questions we had reheased on the stairwell and said, " Is Mitt It? Is he going to be It?"  To learn the answer to this question as well as the other ideas we kicked around with Bill, you'll have to read our "Exclusive Interview With Bill Bradley" on Sunday.  I can assure you that it will be a better read then the Sunday Times!

Leaving The First Church, though we were once more slushing in the muck, it did not matter.  Tonight we had met a man of vision... a man of hope...a man who could lead us during these desperate times.  On our way to The Harvest for some dinner and collaboration on our thoughts about the evening, I smiled at Mo~zy, "We can now call ourselves Gather's Unofficial Political Journalists!  We should ask Tom Gerace to let us cover all political happenings in Cambridge.  We're a team!  We'll do it for an unlimited American express card so we can buy more then soup and coffee when we write our articles."  Mo~zy agreed.

Leaving Cambridge, traveling south on 93 in the downpour, I turned on the radio and "Imagine" was playing...and I thought, yes, there is still hope for a better world.  As I drove, I thought about Bill Bradley, his plan of action, and then I thought about Mo~zy, my new friend.  It's not about what clothes you wear or where you reside...it's not about how much money you make or what stocks you have...life is about connections...connecting with ideas and with fellow earth travelers.  That's what life is really about.