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Take me back
'Cause I need to be reminded
Of what I left behind me
So far away
Take me back, 'cause I need to feel the fire
Yesterday's desire ain't far away
- Cinderella
Yes, it's more motivating words of wisdom from '80's metal bands. One time, I sang this song all the way back to Connecticut. It served me well.
During the holiday season, a lot of people "go home". The last time I "went home" I realized that Los Angeles was my home, and the place I came from was just that: a place that I came from. It's not my identity and it's not my goal. It's just the place where my parents bought a house when I was a kid.
While you're taking a break from chasing your Hollywood dream, try to remember why you left the place you left. It wasn't just to go somewhere - it was also to "get away from here". Sometimes you need to go back to remind you of why you left.
For those of you who are thinking of leaving wherever you are to come to L.A., I'll give you a brief example of what it's like here.
Earlier today, I went to a store called 99 Cents Only. There's a whole bunch of them throughout L.A., and the obvious premise is that they sell stuff for 99 cents. That's it. Their slogan is "Nothing Over 99 Cents, Ever." Pretty simple, huh? Unfortunately, there are people that are even simpler.
I went in looking for a cheap rain poncho. I know someone who bought a few of them here at one time, and since I've been doing some work in the rain, I wanted some semi-formed sheet of plastic to keep me less soaked. I asked the first clerk I saw if they still carried these ponchos, and she was BAFFLED. "Paco? Penso? Pico?" I got every question from "pencil" to "pension". This from a person who spoke Spanish. Aren't ponchos from Mexico? No, I'm not looking for advice on a 401k from the 99 Cents Only clerk. I want something to keep the rain off me. No luck.
So, I proceed to look up and down the aisles. Halfway down Aisle 2, a clerk walks by and two women stop her. One woman holds up a 3-pack of Scotch tape and asks "How much is this?" I almost burst out laughing. The clerk simply replied "99 cents" and walked on. It made me think that she hears this question every day.
Maybe the 99 Cents Only store isn't the best representation of all of L.A.'s life forms, but so far, it hasn't proven to be the disproving of the rule. |
