Sometime in 2002, I think it was, maybe 2003; I was living in an apartment on Potrero, across from the hospital. It was a terrible location. The sirens from the hospital were all day and night. Potrero led to freeway a few miles south and people drove that street like they were already on the freeway. Super noisy and dangerous. In any case, a friend came over to hang out one day. It had been some time, at least two or three years, but we fell into it easily, just chatting and catching up like we always did. We had some lunch and were flipping through channels, looking for something that could be on in the background.
Somehow we caught the start of this David Bowie concert with a live studio audience. It was an all-request show. The audience would request songs, and also some people called into the program. Everyone was telling him how much his art meant to them, that sort of thing. He spoke with every requester, was so kind to them and just super gracious and humble. My friend and I stopped chatting and just sat there watching, just sort of mesmerized. I can't remember the name of the program and in a way I don't want to know. I just want to keep the memory the way it is. Happy birthday, David Bowie, wherever you are.