# 363 Friday, August 31, 2007 - SAFE TRAVELS TO DAVID BLUESTONE A few hours ago, a group of us from Americans For Cures gathered at a local watering hole called (I think) ?La Bolgedita Y Media?, the? little bar in the middle of the street? in Palo Alto, named after famous bar in Cuba, where Ernest Hemingway used to hang out. The food was friendly, the waiters were kind, and the company was the best. On my left was the woman I love, mi esposa y enamorita y spicy mujer, one hot mamacita?sorry, Gloria-- all dressed up in white, best friend and adviser of 38 years. To her left was Erin, hard-working young lady from JDRF, Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (I forgot to ask permission to use her last name) and next to her was Constance McKee, Interim Executive Director for our group: Constance is a super traveler, just back from taking her nieces to explore Paris, and then her nephew to the Daily KOS convention; to my right was Jacqueline Hantgan, who recently visited Israel and who owes me some stories about stem cell science over there; while smilingly across from us was Amy Daly, co-Executive Director of our group; had visited Mexico recently, and liked it so much, she might be buying a little place there; and of course, myself, well-known commuter of the Bay Area. And in the cheerful middle of us all was David Bluestone, the reason for our gathering. David had won the Fullbright Scholarship, and was heading off to Bolivia, where he will study and write about the changing political nature of that beautiful and varied country. There is a linguistic legend that the word ?goodbye? is actually a combination of several words, either God by you (ye) or God be with you ?God be w?ye?. But goodbye was not what we had in store for David. We wished for him a public embarrassment, a rowdy sendoff. We had some dreadful drinks called Movitos?they are the reason, I believe, that Hemingway is no longer with us?even without alcohol, it was one of the most vile concoctions I can remember?but the food was spicy and soooo good. I gave David much useful advice, most of which he stayed courteously awake for, ?If you get in a fight in a crowd, David, the Wing Chun theory is to use your elbows??and my most up-to-date copy of the Writer?s Market, a subtle hint that he is supposed to write about his adventures. The book only weighs about eight pounds, and requires its own suitcase, one with rollers. Jacqueline gave him a more practical gift, a flat and light journal he might actually use. And when everyone seemed too full of carnitas, empanadas and good cheer to escape, I contributed the following literary magnificence. TO DAVID BLUESTONE: SAFE TRAVELS David Bluestone has movie star blue eyes, and an extraordinary brain, Our North American continent?s loss is South America?s gain. David has a fantastic memory, he seems to forget nothing; But he also likes to travel, West and East and North and Southing. He is off to study internationalism now, among the Bolivians indigenous; With us he fought against politicians, whose minds were occasionally cretinous. At an age when most folks barely have driver?s licenses, David has a history of winning; He worked side beside us on Proposition 71, America?s great stem cell beginning. He helped to build an organization, called Americans for Cures; To defend against the ideologues, to keep our stem cell gains secure. He loves charts and graphs and polls, to understand and predict exactly; We hoped he would stay beside us forever, to maintain the effort continuously. But David would never decline a challenge; no job was too big or too small. And now from another direction, David has heard the call. Like an intellectual astronaut, the ?surly bonds of earth to slip?, Like William J. Clinton before him, David won the Fulbright Scholarship. His goal in Bolivia is to digest facts, to understand, to synthesize, to write. But knowing our David Bluestone, he will be found in the thick of the fight. Like our North American natives, taken advantage of, again and again, The South American indigenous population has an uphill struggle to win. Trading microscopic for macrocosmic is a job most folks would bungle; But David Bluestone is an addition to the world, in Palo Alto or the Amazon jungle. Our friend is on furlough from stem cells, a work ?vacation? he has earned, But we won?t be happy until he?s back among us, sharing new skills he has learned. We will miss you, David. Keep safe. Don Reed www.stemcellbattles.com
