Picture 24: LA affection

people say that LA is a cold city - non affectionate and hostile. coming from the midwest i can understand what they are saying. in the midwest we all actually say hello to each other - cook hotdish - ask for directions - and go hunting (haah!). but really, i just think it is because in the midwest we need each other a lot more. there is snow so we need our neighbor to help dig us out. we live further away in the country so we need our neighbor to bring us dinner when we can't drive the 30 miles to the grocery store.

and a whole lot of other stuff that i guess i am just too tired to get into. or perhaps i am not in a sentimental mood so i don't want to reminisce on the midwest and what it was like to have a huge yard to run in - or miles or corn to play hide and seek in - or the simplicity of a bonfire at the farm down the street or a dance party in someone's driveway or laying in the hammock next to the lake or taking a slow tractor ride just....because. those were in some ways simpler and slower times. and in some ways much more constraining times.

but i think LA has a lot of love too. we just show it in different ways. we are more fast-paced, sure. and we assume that if you are here you are pretty much taking care of yourself, sure. but we are a pretty welcoming city of all different kids of people (which, unfortunately, means many bad types of people along with the wonderful people). we work hard and we pursue our dreams. our lives look very different than our midwestern counterparts - we don't get married as early, we don't vote the same, we don't settle into careers as easily - but we are the same good people. we just want to do what is right - to love, to pursue our passions and to make our life count for something. (also, we like to be warm!)

and although we have a harder time saying out loud "hey there, how you doin'?" - we show our love in less obvious ways. for example:

a little kiss on the bumper. just to say. hey....i really enjoyed parking behind you. have a great day! ;-)