my name is ron shmidt. san francisco has been my home for the last 16 years, the castro and cafe floor and the heart of the castro. the bareeftas know my order before i get to the counter and whether i will have crackers -- and warm smiles around from the cooks as they glance up from the food they place on the plate, and i have a friend or two to stop and share my table and catch up on our lives and these are friends that i met there and as i write in my journal and i am caught with visitors from all around the world. cafe floor brings people together from all over the world and i am in touch with many of them. as i was on the patio sipping drinks i noticed a couple of men holding hands and coming through the great and was 40 when i came out. it's thrilling to me to live in a community people are free and safe to be who they r i get a rush when i hear two men holding hands or women hugging and sharing the space with one another. cafe floor provides me with endless moments that take my breath away and fill m