An LA State of Mind

“All men should strive to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why.” – James Thurber

I’ve pondered this quotation often this week. It’s a simple question, but the quasi-Freudian introspection it involves is fairly complex. It also assumes that men (and by the law of syzygy, women) are inherently running. Thus far, it’s been chimerical beachfront honeymoons and foreign reunions with old friends that have helped me get my psyche on straight.

In the advertising world, the goal is to make a message “pop.” In other words, provoke thought, if for only a moment. In the same way, sometimes moments in life pop. I’ve encountered a couple of them during this overwhelming visit. I”m both the saddest and the happiest that I’ve been in the six months leaving LA. This concoction of time, love, and sun is a potent little aperitif.

I do miss Los Angeles. But man, people here are crazy. I don’t mean that to be pejorative, as I believe a little bit of crazy goes a long way when it comes to urban planning. It’s just that California breeds an interesting strain of it.

Not surprisingly, the week’s soundtrack is synth-pop. I experienced a gem of an instant a few minutes ago when I realized that the tune closest to my heart, Discovery’s “Can You Discover?” is a remix of a Ra Ra Riot’s “Can You Tell.” The warm, reggae chord progression and impressions of new memories bouncing in my headphones nearly made “my heart sink to my knees.” Pop.

In summation, excuse my cognitive gushings. I know thing got a little sappy up there, but it wouldn’t be a blournal without them and I find melancholy is often a reliable source of inspiration. Tonight I’m going to watch the season premiere of Leverage on TNT with my friend Andy, on which his song “Not Sure Yet” is featured. These are precisely the kind of events that make LA worth it. It’s an ugly expanse of baked asphalt. But there are cracks for creativity and talent to sneak into, and beyond that it’s a fun postmodern Neverland for those who can swallow disillusionment from a distance.