Count not one, two, or even three, but four pillow creases slashed across my face on a particularly chilly grey morning in Los Angeles. Yep. Good morning, Beautiful! Exactly what I was thinking.
One of my co-workers walks over to me with an empty box. I have a somatic reaction to it - if you blinked, you may have missed it.
Fast forward to today; the hallway and parlour room of my parents' house are now filled with some dozen and some change boxes. Thus far, I have unpacked the four suitcases that I have checked onto my flight. Winter's entrance is in the air; the temperatures are chilly and I have already pulled out a few heavy sweaters; I'm not in Los Angeles anymore.
Talk is cheap.
I'm not talking about it anymore - about the things I want to do, experience. Talk is cheap. Talk. Talk about getting into shape. Hanging out. Reading your screenplay. Asking out your crush. Being more punctual. I absolutely abhor flakiness and wish I could admonish everyone who expresses a wish to be characterized otherwise.
Some people ask me why I'm leaving LA - as if my journey these past few years have been gravy. Yep, Los Angeles, land of milk and honey, why would anyone want to leave? Remember when, in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, when Toula's father expresses his thoughts on Toula no longer working at the restaurant and starting to go to school?
"Why you want to leeeeeave me?"
I get that vibe when people ask me why I'm leaving LA. If I had a bad break up. Others ask if I'll miss particular dining establishments - in truth, that's all replaceable. I can always discover my new favorite coffeehouse or tapas joint. To reiterate, I haven't been living the sweet milk-and-honey life that, for some reason, people seem to believe. It's time to move on. And life hasn't been completely smooth this whole stint out West - this is where the aforementioned flakiness has factored in - I've learned a great deal about people, and how much more important a person's character is to me. People can, if you're lucky, be genuine, lighthearted, thoughtful, sensitive, and considerate. They can be good listeners, dependable, and good friends. Again, that's if you're lucky. People can also forget things. People can do things that are disappointing and selfish and demanding and manipulative and insecure. But I believe that, on the whole, they are well-intentioned. They just have fears and flaws, like everybody else.
Life moves apace. I have long been that kid that obeys all the rules, plays it safe.
Now I'm the one that loves to surprise people. Including myself.
COTW [crush-of-the-week]
