The Streets of Los Angeles, California

    I love the streets of Los Angeles. Since we spend so much time in our cars in LA, we don't rub up against each other as you do in say New York. There is a separation here that I did not experience there. There we were often right up against someone or we could be standing next to someone waiting. But not here in Los Angeles in the same way. Here we are separated by our cars and with cars it's all about not touching the each other. Heaven forbid! When we are close to someone say in line at the bank we don't talk to each other. It doesn't have to be that way.

    I think how we show up in the world can have a dramatic affect on the environment around us. All one has to do is talk to other people like they are people and not as strangers that we need to shield ourselves from. I am amazed at how people are a little shocked when I talk to them, but after they run a "safety scan" on me, a smile will almost always get me a smile back. And if you really stretch out and actually start a conversation people in line most people will respond.  I think we all are really hoping someone will take us out of our trance. I like to call it our "Trance of Separation". This is the trance we are in if we are not fully aware of what is going on, moment to moment. I must say that getting older has helped. People seem to see me as a little safer and not as threating as in the past. I used to not speak to beautiful women in public but that has changed for me. Now everyone is fair game.

    But back to LA, I do love it here. It's a great city. It has its own life force and it is certainly different than most places I've visited. When I am out there driving around,  I just can't help but take its picture. And there is so much to capture. I suppose I must cop to being infatuated with beautiful women but there is so much more going on out there than just beautiful women.

    I started a project called "Bus Stop Characters". If you go to my Flickr account you can check it out. It is a work in progress but there are some themes that are emerging. Mostly it is people waiting. But if you look close you can see the separation that I was talking about. People seem to sit at different ends of the bench. No one seems to be talking to anyone, except on the cell phone, which in a way is another way of staying isolated.
But that's subject for another writing.

       Thanks for checking in and next time your in line at the bank take a chance and talk to the person next to you. Leave me your opinion.

David