If a man can be star struck by a city, then I'm sure this is the place. I took my bike out for a ride on the streets and let my mind wander a bit. It seems that all the stars from the sky landed here in the city and there's nothing up above but smog. Don't get me wrong, I love it here, but it is quite...quaint. That truly is the best word to describe it for me, because if you look it up, by all definitions, that is how it appeals to and interests me. Every antique and refurbished part of this city is wondrous. The demographics are eclectic at best with one block fading from 10,000 homes to 10,000,000 homes depending on the block. It's ghetto on one side and ginormous on the other. It really brought me back to the days in Chicago or even Pittsburgh with the endless sidewalks and people that never sleep. I loved climbing the hills with palm trees swaying and the Hollywood sign fading in the twilight of the mini-mountain overlooking the star-filled city. I rode past Paramount Studios with its mountain logo on the water tower and its white painted studio number 5 and 6 looking down at me. I couldn't help but think of all the movies I've seen with that same logo and all the entertainment being made there to show off in the summers of the future. As I made my way up to the famous Blvd. with the same name, I let the sidewalk carve its dead names into my tires. Names like Nat "King" Cole, Bette Davis, and Gene Kelly. There were some that were a little more recent like George Clooney, Jim Henson, and Britney Spears. Each of them engraved in the stars of this land. When I thought about all this place represents, I couldn't help but smile. I love a good story, and I love storytelling, I am a creative writing minor after all, and I've loved movies since I can remember, but the trick to a good story is to help a person appreciate their reality better, to not take it for granted. I love my life, and I reckon Hollywood's made me appreciate it a little better now. Not just for the movies; tonight it was the story I'm making. Tonight, my wife cooked chicken for us for the first time, and now we're going to sit down and read scriptures together. I love her with all my heart, and I don't think there's any movie nor story that could be more beautiful and lovely than the one I'm living. I am so grateful for that.
