I have been thinking about this a lot lately, probably because the future seems so uncertain these days.
Today I drove all over the city scouting locations for L.H. I started out by driving to the beach, then up to Pacific Palisades, followed by Brentwood; then all the way down to San Pedro, moseying back up through Wilmington and Harbor Gateway; then back to central city in Westlake, Echo Park and Silver Lake, before I went home — over 100 miles! It was a glorious Sunday, really radiant following the week’s storms. Consequentially, everyone was out. Every neighborhood was teeming with people, and it was remarkable to see such disparate communities united, in, well, their enjoyment of the weather. (And the sidewalks!) It probably doesn’t sound like much if you’re not from this city, but usually it’s between this and tragic spectacle.
On the west side they were going to farmer’s markets, promenading on the sidewalks and chatting with neighbors in their front yards. In San Pedro, people were fixing bicycles and cars in their driveways, playing basketball and exercising. In Westlake, MacArthur Park was the place, just hundreds and hundreds of families and couples, young and old — picnicking, playing soccer, laying out. The intersections in this part of town were like midtown Manhattan on a week day: huge groups of people crossing at every light. In Silver Lake everyone was out with his or her dog, drinking coffee on the sidewalk or doing laps around the reservoir. I drove my old walking route from when I lived in this area, and became quite nostalgic — noticing the plants and the houses and certain details that had changed.
I came home and went for a walk around my present neighborhood, just in time to catch the sunset. One day, I’m sure I will be nostalgic for this route — the plants, the houses, the view. And the friendly people saying hello, who take me for a neighbor without realizing I’m just a visitor.
This was a good post to start my week with. thanks. and thanks too for the postcard!