by Jan Chaffin

The morning fog was just starting to burn off on Main Beach in Santa Cruz California. Since it was May 31 and very warm, the beach was filling quickly.

Indivisible Santa Cruz volunteers, spearheaded by Angela Marshall, had arrived at 8am to stake claim to space in front of the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster and had already measured out the colored cloth panels forming the giant letters.

When I arrived at 10am, the letters were complete and people were gathering. By 10:30, we were allowed to occupy our designated letters. We all wore specific colors for the letters we chose to represent. I wore purple and stood mid way in the letter R. We all
faced the ocean in twos side by side.

Drone photographers started circling overhead and music started playing from a boom box. John Lennon’s “Imagine” came on and we all sang along as we looked up to the bright blue cloudless sky and waved, many giving the peace sign.

As if on cue, a massive formation of pelicans flew overhead. It was a very emotional moment. We continued to stand as more drones flew over, laughing and talking among ourselves, feeling happy and useful. We were each a small part of something so big it could only be seen from the sky.