I lived in Los Angeles for 21 years, starting in 1985 when I attended UCLA. After graduation, I lived in Studio City, Santa Monica, Venice, and Mar Vista. I worked in Studio City, Hollywood, and El Segundo. I went from a naïve 19 year-old to a naïve 39 year-old. I had a lot of fun and formed many friendships that I consider some of the most influential in my life. LA is an important city to me and it is heartbreaking to hear of it being destroyed.
I say ‘hear of it’ because I have yet to bring myself to do anything more than look at general maps of where the fires are. I am a sensitive lass, and a bit of a coward. I have the luxury of avoiding details. I start crying at the mention of scavengers looting what is left of people's homes. I can't imagine how big an a-hole you have to be to do that. There is no justification for that kind of cruelty.
Then I turn around and start crying hearing about how places are overflowing with donations to help the people displaced by the fires. It makes me think of the time after 9/11 when New York City was welcoming, open, and unguarded. I am an eternal optimist so I love to see examples of people helping one another. The good people vastly outweigh the bad, but the jerks can do a lot of damage while they are plundering.
That brings me to the man who is about to be inaugurated. The American people wanted a change and boy, are they going to get one. There are all sorts of political and economic changes coming, but what we are about to see is the difference in temperament between two presidents. And we have just enough time to compare the two back to back.
No matter how old and doddering you think our current president is, he does a good job of being sincere. The new guy has a hard time feigning interest for anything that does not include him. That's what people liked about him; he told it like it is—no pussyfooting around the delicate libs. But did he? Really, he spewed bald-faced lies that went unchallenged. And on top of that, he undermined the media and fact-checkers so opinions became reality.
There is a difference between ideologies and actual people who have lost everything. The future/former president has always been consistently selfish and somewhat fragile. He has no interest in things that do not benefit him directly. I tend to think he will see the fires and their aftermath as a nuisance that distracts from his inaugural celebrations.
So pray you get the 82-year-old who understands loss to visit your city and pledge much-needed aid. The pain is too overwhelming and too universal to deny. He will also offer genuine sympathy and compassion. The contrast between him and the 78-year-old will be rather stark. This is just my own personal opinion. What do I know?
Luckily, the people of this great city are as strong, resilient, and resourceful as any other that has faced devastating loss and destruction. There are just a few more recognizable faces. Turns out, the "they‘re just like us' feature is true. Celebrities have the same desire to pitch in as everyone else. And many of them have the resources to make a significant impact.
Eventually, hopefully soon, Mother Nature will join us and assist in dousing the flames. Then the roiling hellscape will turn into a still life. Everyone will mourn the passing of the people and places that are gone and then they will roll up their sleeves and get to the business of rebuilding their lives and their city. I will be watching intermittently through clenched fingers, cheering everyone on!
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