It was 1980. The Clintons were on the campaign trail. I was in BRENDA and LANA'S CENTER STREET CAFE, a restaurant by day and a bar/grill by night. It was the heyday of the CAFE SOCIETY in Eureka Springs Ar. I was reading the morning paper. it was between the breakfast crowd and the lunch crowd. I was the only person in the place sitting at the center table with my back to the door. the entrance wall was all glass and let in wonderful light. I first became aware of someones presence when a shadow was cast across my table. as i looked up someone tapped me on the shoulder. The bright light lit them from behind so i could only tell there were two women.
together they asked if they might join me. at first i was startled, because they could have sat anywhere, and then pleasently surprised when they introduced themselves, though I recognised them immediately. it was Betty Bumpers, the wife of sen. dale bumpers, on one side and Hillary Clinton on the opposite side of me. they were out campaigning and had swung by Eureka, not to campaign, but to visit friends.
they ordered food and offered me something. I politely declined, allowing as how i was waiting for my wife to have lunch. they ate thier food while we discussed just about everything except politics. I suppose my shoulder length hair and full beard made them think they'd be preaching to the choir. it was a very pleasent visit with two nice ladies.
when they left, Brenda, the proprietor, came scurrying over and excitedly asked if i knew who just ate lunch with me. i told her sure i did. i asked her if she found it strange they sat with me? she replied OH NOOOO that SHE called them. seems the night before they had attended a benefit party there , for KESP our community radio station, that i had DJ'd and they wanted some quality time with me. when she explained that i had breakfast/lunch in her establishment nearly daily they asked her to call them when i was in. she did.
that's how i came to have brunch with HILLARY CLINTON. a very smart very nice girl. -----
