it's 7am.

it's 7am.
"good morning!"
i rub my eyes, while my mind frantically searches for why some strange man is leaning over me with a fresh cup of black coffee.
"oh, hi."
thats right. i am a roadie. my mind clears as i remember driving up from LA after a screening the night before and we were now staying at some random house/cabin in visalia, california (which i had never even heard of untill now).
"im merle. im glad you all got here safe. i have to leave soon, but make yourselves at home. there is more coffee downstairs. here is a key to the house, a key to the four runner outside, $60 for food...oh and if you need to go anywhere far...i have a plane."
"ok....um...thank you."
im not sure what just happened, but in shock of a strangers generosity, i got up from bed and drank my coffee.
it was 7am. but i am a roadie.

beep.beep.beep.beep.
"hannah....that alarm clock in the next room has been going off for at least 20 minutes. should i wake him up?"
we were in vegas. a very strange guy at the screening at UNLV the night before offered us his place to crash.
"no, im sure its fine. my friend hannah says as she rolls back to sleep.
his place was...gross to say the least. he had two hamsters, one which was missing at the moment, he collects comic books and he wrote poetry which he recited to us the night before.
we actually loved him.
i finally got up and peeked in his room....
"steve?"
nothing.
he was gone. i turned his alarm off and went to the kitchen to find a note. from steve.
"to my new friends. it was lovely meeting you. i had to go to work at the sandwich shop. help yourselves to some cookies. love, steve"
and so i grabbed a chocolate chip cookie.
it was 7am. but i am a roadie.

"i dont think the school is open yet!" i yelled to hannah, who was waiting in the van. and then as i started walking away, someone opened the door...
"may i help you?"
"yes, I am kate, the guest speaker today with Invisible Children. i am doing a presentation with the 9th graders. in the auditorium."
i was a couple hours early, and so they weren't expecting me yet. but we had three screenings scheduled in the San Francisco area and they were all close in time. we rock, paper, sissored it and each took a screening. Hannah would be back to pick me up around 5pm. I set up in the auditorium and waited for my little 9th graders to come and learn about the LRA.
it was 7am. but i am a roadie.

and for six months i am devoted to ending a war. to encourage the youth of america. and to be the best damn roadie for invisible children i could be.
even at 7am.