Grannies' Stories

Day Two, Granny Trek, Sunday, June 25, 2006

We began Sunday morning telling the extravagently itinerant Vito Fosella “fuggetaboutit” because of his stand on the war.

We then thought we had said goodbye to our lovely host’s but later in the afternoon they were recalled with much love. In a moment of lull I opened a card from my 3 generations of dear hosts and found a $50.00 donation. (A gift on top of all that had been and done for us!) When I shared the card with my sister grannies they were very moved. And as we were reflecting on that kindness, Sally Jones of Peace Action New York State rode in from Staten Island to bring Carol her forgotten phone.

Newark was deserted when we unloaded at the Court Campus to ready our banners and the flag draped coffin for the trek into downtown Newark. We arrayed ourselves and practiced a new song as a lone trooper engaged us. Norman told the officer that we wanted to work with him what did we need to do. The young Trooper told us there could be no filming or gathering in the spot. So, Norman requested the citation but the Sargent back at the station house could not find the statute. So we went down to the major shopping street and set ourselves up on a busy corner. Where a young man immediately asked what we were doing. “We’re peace activists.” I said. “What’s that?” he asked. I told him and he replied “I don’t want to fight a white man’s war.”

Barbara Walker had antirecruitment pamphlets from AFSC in Spanish and English and soon enough she had enrolled an Hispanic Reverend to pass them out the talk with the people we could not.

It took about a hour standing on this corner with the peddlers before the friendships bloomed. Eventually Marie danced to the Hiphop vendor’s tunes. As we left, Mr. Music took a photo of Betty. A big guy spoke urging us to “Bring ‘em home, Babe.”

Like Staten Island the evening brought a hearty welcome and a fine pot luck supper at the Friends Meeting in Plainfield. We divided up and rode home with our hosts. The conversation with our driver who happened to be a Palestinian was perhaps the clearest view I have ever heard on the Middle East… She explained that after the Balfour Declaration, the Palestinians suffered from a kind educational apartheid and thus lost not only land but the ability to regain either that or improve their personal status. After regaling us with incredible conversation she brought us to the home of another Angel— the kind of person who leaves her door unlocked.

Diane Dreyfus, M.S. Arch.