Democracy

At the sushi restaurant on Clement last night, the sushi chef got drunk and stopped serving a little after 9 p.m. .

I'm not sure what this means, but it means something.

There were those at our table who were still hungry, and I was among them. When I ordered 2 pieces of smoked eel to end my meal, the waiter said it would be a "half hour" and shrugged his shoulders. I could see that the sushi chef had a large glass of sake in his hand and was toasting a diner who sat at the sushi bar.

This is where the elites sit, at the sushi bar, not at a table. Eating in a real sushi restaurant is not a democratic experience.

By this time the restaurant was roaring, every seat was taken. The sushi chef came out from behind the bar and enjoyed a drink with a favored table or two. He owned the restaurant, he had the right, he could do what he wanted to do and he did. We were sort of angry with him but a little envious of his freedom too, especially the way he wasn't afraid to use it.

The name of the restaurant is Oyaji, 3123 Clement St. San Francisco. Oyaji is Japanese for 'grumpy old man.'

As I walked out of the place this thought came to me: that the larger the population is the more impossible democracy becomes. I'm not sure what this means, but it means something.