Sorry for the misleading title. This post is not about one of Clint Eastwoods more notable Western films (though it is rather fantastic in all of its drawn out cinematic glory). Do follow along, you will see what I mean.
Last weekend (I suppose now it was two weeks ago, time flys doesn’t it!) Drew and I had the most magical of days in our native LA. To be honest, it was probably the best day LA has ever known.
The air was warm and sweet, pushing us along as we rode our bikes down Sunset into the Arts District. Handsome was buzzing with energy, alive and thriving as the mid-morning crowed poured in a steady line through the doors to get their fix. We sat at the counter, bantering with the barristas we have grown to know and love over the last few months. Voices echoed in joyful song as we said our goodbyes.
Heat from the early afternoon crept in, and we rode to our next stop- The Echo Park Craft Fair. Throngs of people wound their way through the rows of locally made and sold merchandise, gently caressing the brass finishings, golden jewelry, and leather goods. I stopped for a moment to chat with the incredibly talented jewelry designer Kristen Elspeth and picked up a couple of goodies while Drew was off purchasing some Moon Juice to keep us going. The crowd flowed, gently carrying us out into the sun and sending us on our way.
The city felt alive, thrumming with energy for all who were willing to notice. We rode into down town to visit friends at Unique LA. Perched atop the California Market Center, hundreds (perhaps thousands) gathered to sift through a curated selection of LA’s greatest goods. Candles, coffee, aprons, baked goods, clothing, accessories, home decor, the list goes on and on. We found our friends, shared laughter and hugs, bought candles (seriously order some, they are divine) and reluctantly left Uniques cultivated world of inspiration.
We capped off the evening in the cool, calm embrace of a theater. The Place Beyond the Pines broke our hearts and left us in a world of thought. If you haven’t seen it, do. It is a brilliant film that will tug at your heart strings (though Bradley Coopers son can gtfo).
Why am I telling you all of this? So you can get an idea, a glimmer, of just how magical that day was. But then…
Sunday morning I awoke, a cloud looming. By Monday I was lost in the grey. Drew and I were falling apart… or so it seemed.
The crazy things is, even in the hard times, I know (in my heart of hearts) we are good, that everything will be ok (eventually). What blows me away, is just how quickly things can go from good, to bad, to ugly. The transition happens in the blink of an eye, a land slide, avalanche, a catastrophic event, destroying you in an instant. Just when you think you are safe, just when the summit looks attainable, it strikes, knocking you back down to the bottom.
It takes time to recover, to realize you are still all in one piece and you can stand back up, place on foot in front of the other and climb again. The challenge is not allowing the fear of destruction to keep you down.
xx
