You can tell how the year is going to be by what you do or don’t do during the New Year times. Last year for New Year’s was cool, but really rushed, but also not crazy. However this year was another story.
I boarded a plan to Los Angeles for New Years on the 29th to spend it with my good college friend. I have gone to LA a couple of times, but have experienced something different for all the trips that I have traveled there. This time we did some of the usual things such as chill in Huntington Beach traveling around, eating fish tacos, spending some time at Long Beach Harbor, and traveling back and forth on the 405 and other LA highways. But this trip was not only different because it was New Year’s, but because I haven’t experienced something like this during this time of year in my life. I usually stay around town and plan what I am going to do for the upcoming year. Last year I went to Austin and lived it up with some friends, but this year was me traveling to a spot far away from home just to celebrate, experience, and just be however the place presented itself to me.
This trip was also the most relaxful because of the time that I spent already during the Christmas break off of work and how long it lasted. There were many times of me reflecting on my year and talking to people that I haven’t talked to in awhile. I realized that we are all growing up, whether it be to our own making, or going through the motions we are all living the life we think is right for us and not determined by our family, friends, media, or whatever outside influence that usually takes people’s live into directions that they don’t feel happy about. I am not saying that we are truly living the life we want, but we are making decisions that ultimately determine our happiness/sadness and that in itself gives a person appreciation only if they realize that.
With all the reflection it was finally time for me to really let loose and enjoy the time I was there for, so my good friend and I booked a hotel and bought tickets online for a party in LA for New Year’s Eve. We bought drinks, got our clothes ready, and made a couple of music cd’s for the drive to LA. As we were getting closer and closer to our hotel in LA our spirits started to falter because of the dirt, trash, excess amount of people on the streets staring at others and what was going on and people selling food, wallets, or whatever they had just placed without order on the streets you wouldn’t want your dog to lick. Basically the place was a dump and damn I didn’t know it was really like this and realizing that our Ramada Inn was in this location and the Holiday Inn we joked about being more expensive all the emotions and laughter sunk in. But hey there is nothing a little alcohol couldn’t cure.
Oh when you are “pre-gaming” before the biggest party of the year you start to forget where you are and ready for where you are going. We kept drinking, listening to music, ironing our clothes, taking pictures, until a couple of hours before 12 a.m. This is when everything starts to get bizarre, but all of it I tell you is true…all of it.
While I was still inside having a good time talking to random people, making out with a chick, and taking pictures here and there my friend was in the hospital. I later found out that he left the event and got hit by a car as he was crossing the street and rolled a couple of feet. The cops were out, blocked the area, and took him to the hospital. Not just any hospital, but a free one called, The Good Samaritan. So me being the good friend that I was I started searching around for that hospital and the search absolutely sucked. Most of the people that I asked for directions were not familiar with downtown LA and didn’t know how to get around. Even the locals were of no real help, the cabs kept on telling me that they were out of service, and the cops of all people didn’t know and told me that they didn’t have any money to give me. Damn that was the first time people that I was homeless or so and really didn’t care how I was dressed.
I kept on going and going and finally ended in the heart of “skid row”. A very shitty part of town infested with homeless people, weirdo’s (a guy told me his New Year’s wouldn’t be complete if he didn’t suck my cock, again I couldn’t and wouldn’t want to make this up). I was very frustrated but turned around and see if the hospital was over the freeway, which was about 3-5 miles the other direction. I was now more determined to get to the hospital on foot and what I saw was just eye opening. I believe I went down 5th street and walked pass the homeless shelter and saw that it was packed with homeless people everywhere. Some just wondering around, talking to each other, arguing, and a lot of them sleeping underneath boxes and comforters. As much as I was determined to get out of there I was scared and shocked by the amount of people in one of the richest states in the country. And like always the areas started to look better as I was nearing my way closer to the downtown everyone is used to seeing of LA.
I realized something very important as I was about to cross underneath the freeway that I still think about and will for some time, do we as human beings really believe what we say and if so do you think what you say really effects that person you are talking to? Most will say yes, but especially when talking to people that they don’t even know the answer is no. I saw this homeless guy chillin on the side of the road and I without thinking told him, Happy New Year’s, he shook his head with content and kept on doing what he was doing. I stopped wondering in my head and thought about the response of the homeless guy and really felt that he didn’t care what I said to him. Oh course he didn’t care, why would he want to have a happy new year when he is on the street begging for money, sleeping wherever, wondering where he went wrong, what his next move in his life is going to be, and people just trying to be nice for occasion sake. The homeless guy and people in general mostly care about themselves and how they are going to make it through the day. So when I got the response that I did it got me wondering about the power of words and how they affect or don’t affect people.
For now I just think about that situation and will soon take action to figure out what I witness. I ended up finding my friend in the hospital. He was stretched out on the bed and was ready to get out of there. On our way back to the hotel he told me about his stories of a Mexican lady giving birth right next to me, how some of the nurses were mean, how there were many homeless people sleeping in the chairs and on the floor because either they didn’t have a blanket or due to the weather being very cold and how a mentally challenged worker tried to help him escape the hospital while he was trying to use the restroom. The rest of the night and my days in California were filled with laughing about the great memories that we had all ready accumulated for the year and what was in stored for the upcoming year. This year I have a vision that I am following with mostly things that I have been doing since last year. I will change it accordingly as I see fit, but and see how far I get, I will post a copy of it later in the week.