Michelle Obama in SF

After another day scouring the internet for jobs and coming up with freelance pitches, I was ready to head back to my uncle's place in SF for an evening restorative and maybe a gentle stroll round Noe Valley.

But on crossing Market St, I was held up while a cavalcade of police cars and motorbikes whizzed past, including one car featuring the smiling an waving First Lady. Yep, Michelle Obama was in town, and I'd inadvertently wandered into her armoured procession.

Apparently she was opening a play centre in the city and speaking at a San Francisco school about the importance of volunteering and community leaders.

According to the Associated Press article:

Obama talked about the importance of children getting exercise, adding that at the White House they've instituted "Camp Obama," which means the TV and computers are off until after dinner and right before bedtime — "Bedtime is early."

She also said the Obama girls play on a swing set that has been installed.

"They don't even know that they're getting exercise," Obama said. "That's the value of play and that's what we need to get our kids to do in this community — but we have to provide them with resources to make that happen."

So Michelle Obama in town to celebrate the very thing that's been scurrying around my mind for the last few months: the value of play, and how we can incorporate it into our daily routine. 

I'm glad that this is being taken seriously; encouraging children to play and getting members of the community involved can make a difference. It's a positive message to be sending out in an otherwise bleak era.