Nightmares and Daydreams in California

Sending all our love and strength to the City of Angels

I met my friend at her home in Santa Monica one fall morning. As we walked down to our usual stomping grounds, Palisades Park, we caught sight of the ocean ahead. She stretched out her arms, leaned her head back, and took a deep breath in. “This is why we live here. You can’t get this in Oklahoma.” I couldn’t help but smile.

Even though I was planning on moving away, broke and on my last dollar, I couldn’t help but bask in the fact that I was right there at that moment. It was that beautiful.

And now it’s on fire.

I moved to Los Angeles from Oklahoma City thinking I wasn’t really an “L.A. person,” whatever that is. I quickly discovered that I loved the trails, the ocean, the music, and my family of transient friends who banded together to make the most of our time together in the city.

In between working multiple jobs, I made a regular habit of exploring the parks and trails and going to see the ocean. It was, after all, a big reason why I had moved there. So I’d run up the hills in Griffith Park and look out over the city. I’d meet a friend for a chat at Runyon Canyon or the Hollywood sign trailhead. I’d bound up trails at Eaton Park and look at the ruins of an historic resort that had burned to ashes decades ago.

I fell in love with Los Leones Trail with its switchbacks that overlooked hills, then valleys, then ocean. For me, that route would always end at the top of a mound that looked straight over to the sea. I’d take a rest and sit on this bench that someone had dedicated to their lost loved one. Then, with newfound energy, I would dash down the hill to my starting point. The last time I was there, the park lived up to it’s name, and I came face to face with a mountain lion who, unbelievably, just walked on by.

Living in LA with these kinds of experiences was one of the most incredible, eye-opening times of my life. I could take a day filled with big worries about clients or bills or dating, and instantly transpose it with a monumental view that shrunk my problems down to size.

Now I watch the fire map in horror as so many of these cherished places are lost or changed forever. I hold dear friends close in my mind as I pray that the flames won’t cross the next street and that no ember goes astray.

My time in Los Angeles was only a few years, but it gave me so much. The beautiful, complicated, exciting city on the coast holds more than just movie studios, lavish lifestyles, and posh celebrities. It is a community full of people with aspiration, heart, and creativity drawn to the awe-inspiring environment.

The city truly runs on its own other-worldly magic.

As we are surrounded by tragedy and heartbreak in this nation, I hope that L.A. can pull out a miracle and inspire us again. What a wonder it would be if we could come together to help this city and its people recover. We donate, we volunteer, we open our hearts and homes. We make sure that this place comes back to life.

With love and hope for the future,

Stephanie

Please, if you can, give to L.A.’s victims, and help where you are able. Hold up the firefighters risking their lives to care for others. Support federal recovery efforts- as premature as that may sound, it seems to be on the horizon. Spread the word to others.

Click for link to ongoing information on how to help victims: LAist