Robbie Schneider

In 1983, I had recently moved from my hometown of Santa Cruz to San Francisco, to live with my best friend Marge who was leaving her husband of five years, Patrick Fitzgerald. I was 23 and I think she was 22. Our birthdays are a year and a day apart. She was dating Rocky at the time....Marge was my first girl crush and she is one of the women I have loved most intensely in this life. Marge was a first in many ways for me, but she truly taught me what it is to be a member of a tribe.

Marge's mother was Athabaskan and their summer ritual was to go up the river and catch salmon. Salmon camp; hard work, that went on for weeks and weeks in those days of so very much light. Her aunties and grandmothers stitched and beaded the most beautiful slippers you've ever seen. Such an exquisite gift.

I coveted those slippers. I have a picture of my feet in them somewhere in the attic. the picture, not the feet, are in the attic.

Jeez, so I'm taking a long way around to tell you that when Marge and I lived together in a McAllister Ave. brownstone basement apartment, just west of Haight Ashbury ,she met Robbie Schneider from San Mateo one night at a comedy club....and she brought him home and we hung out on your living room floor. He was such a boy! And Robbie, if you ever happen to read this, I want you to know that your CERTAINTY of your destiny has always stayed with me. You JUST KNEW that your star was brilliant and bright. I hope that it still is my friend, I hope your destiny has been kind to you. You were funny then and you're funny now and I thank you for that!

Connie