I met Josh in a classroom in South LA. It was the third session of a writing work shop. The students had interviewed elders of their families and were supposed to write stories about the elders' challenges and triumphs, memories they shared, what they had in common and what made them different. Volunteers like me were supposed to help.

Piece of cake - I am a reporter. Getting the story out of people is my bread and butter business.

Josh was hiding his face under a hoodie. Headphones over his ears and a tired smile made it obvious, that this was going to be a challange. Josh did never type a word into his computer, but he told me his and his grandfather's story. I was typing as fast as I could ...

{http://soundcloud.com/soundslikerstin/mildred-dreamer-south-los-angeles}

Mildred is smart, beautiful, ambitious, kind and passionate. Mildred came to California to learn.

In her country, it was too dangerous for her to go to school. In her country, her oldest brother got shot in front of the family's house. In her country, the family received death threats.

She was born in Honduras. The family fled to Guatemala first. There was no way to go to school there for Mildred. When she was eight, the family decided to go farther North. The US. Smugglers separated Mildred and her three younger siblings from their mother.

Line of scrimmage. Fourth and goal. End zone.

Tight end. Wide receiver. Runner. Tackle. Touchdown.

Snap. Strip Sack. Hail Mary. Over.

I am German. I grew up with "Eckball", "Elfmeter", "Strafraum", "Hackentrick", "Freistoß" und "Abseitsfalle". But my husband is a Football fan. And a very patient teacher of everything U.S. sports: vocabulary, actions, politics. Football, basketball, baseball, hockey.

This is how the sight of men in football armor fighting for the win became pur poetry for me.

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Happy Times.

Peace. Stillness. Dunkeys, Ducks and Dogs. Gratitude.

Brainstorming with a successful writer, I am excited about all the possibilities ahead of me, and frankly just by the fact that I am sitting here with her. This is L.A. living at its best: We are just minutes from the beach, sitting among donkeys, ducks and dogs, surrounded by mountains, avocado trees and ancient sycamore trees. She gets up to feed the ducks and I walk with her ...

All day long whenever I turned on the radio, I heard about Washington and "THE MEMO". When I turned on the computer, I read about "THE MEMO". I heard people being angry, upset, confused and fed up. It was time to take a break. I stepped outside to take a walk along the creek close to our house. I looked around while I was walking, and I got happier with every step. I heard and saw

JOGGERS - fast and slow, well-toned and chubby,

DOG WALKERS- one trying to teach a tiny dog to sit, another keeping a slow pace with her Saint Bernard and a giant Scottish Sheep Dog,