. . .Forty-nine-year-old John was out the door at dawn. It was a chilly 48º (Fahrenheit; 9º Celsius) morning. Low gray clouds and mist hovered over the Richmond District of San Francisco (CA, USA) on this date of November 21, 1954. Once on the 15th Avenue sidewalk, the sweater-clad, dark-haired Caucasian gent of average build thought: No rain is forecast today. The fog should be gone soon. A good day to do some walking. Clear the mind. Maybe burn some belly fat off. Don’t want to have to buy new pants. Sure could go for some hot coffee. Yeah, let’s hit that joint on Lake Street. It’s not that far away. Three long blocks later, John was at his intended java joint. It had just opened. The owner, an immigrant from Zadar (a city in present-day Croatia), was still taking the chairs off the red with gold speckles, Formica-topped, round tables.. . . Read More