my take on it

There are many things about Hollywood that piss me off - like the water-Splenda girl at Coffee Bean. Then there are the glossy, glitzy dreams that serve as a constant reminder of why LA is such a magical place.

Last night, I met up with a friend - probably one of the most beautiful girls I have ever come in contact with. It had been some time since we last conversed so we had a lot to discuss. We talked about our careers, or lack thereof, and where we were trying to go from this point forward. Some background info on her: she graduated from college, moved to LA, worked at a law office to prepare for law school, went to law school, hated it, quit, and moved back to LA with dreams of becoming an actress. We agreed that life would be simpler and easier if we were the type of people to be satisfied with an office job. I look back on my time in San Francisco working in IT at a finance firm as a lifetime ago and a "stand still" point of my life. Sometimes I wish I could have been happy with that - it was responsible, I made great money, and I didn't have to wonder every day if I was going to be spending my life working towards something that I may never achieve.

My friend is the same way. Things would be easier and less stressful for her had she been happy practicing law. She would have completed law school, joined a prestigious law firm, and possibly opened her own successful practice in the future. That almost seems more plausible and reachable than becoming a famous actress. Now she works a day job and does bottle service Friday and Saturday nights at a popular LA night club in an effort to make ends meet and support herself while she pursues her dream.

Just like everyone else in this town.

Because my job involves the entertainment industry, I am constantly coming across people who are desperately trying to become famous. In fact, the majority of the people that I have met in LA have fit in this category. It's like we live in a separate universe and I almost forget that there are people who just have "normal" jobs. It's the LA snob in me that comes out when I start to believe that those people have no dreams in life because they are satisfied with being "normal." That's when I need to remind myself that I'm not special; I'm just like everyone else. It's when I need to call my "normal" friends and bring me back to Earth.

This is the city of dreams. Unfortunately, not everyone, not even a high percentage of people will ever reach their goals but once you decide to take that road, you can only move forward without looking over your shoulder at past regrets.