First Person Singular | January 2012 - Page 2 of 3

Shoe Etiquette

January 17, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

I tooled around San Francisco over the weekend, staying downtown with friends, and we walked everywhere: to Tomasso’s in North Beach for wood oven-baked lasagna; to a chilly farmer’s market by the Bay Bridge; later on to the urban gardener, Flora Grubb in Dogpatch, the new it neighborhood. My feet ached. I wanted to wear sneakers, which would go unnoticed in Los Angeles, but my chic friend dissuaded me (at least half of the time.)

Happy Birthday MLK!

January 16, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Let’s get busy. We’ve got work to do.

Wrapping Up the Week

January 13, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

It’s a balmy night in Southern California, hovering above 70 degrees. I just came back from strolling on Sunset Blvd, where I did some errands, making a loop from the ATM to the swanky local market, for some dinner. I love my new neighborhood, with its opportunity for urban-ness, flanked by the Hollywood Hills. It has been a week of highs and lows, and not much mediums. I’m looking forward to my Friday night ritual of 24 hour unplugging, and of trying to recharge my spirit. Happy weekend y’all.

Speaking of Sanity

January 12, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

See yesterday.

Poster by Barbara Kruger, 2008

Don’t Give Up

January 11, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

While fighting for my dreams, I seem to be reaching, daily, for the “how to keep sane” toolbox. It’s not a new bag of tricks, but one of these strategies eventually works for me. What works for you?

Photo from newyorkshitty

Holding it Together

January 10, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Image from 1997 issue of Italian design magazine, Rassegna

Not Going to Go There

January 9, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Living in Los Angeles, it’s so hard not to feel inadequate. There’s always someone richer, younger, more attractive, with more influence. Just today, I spotted a woman from my ballet class opening the door to her huge, black Mercedes. (It’s not the car I coveted but the financial freedom, or so I imagined in my fantasy of her situation.) But of course, the opposite is true, too. And what does that have to do with a meaningful life, anyway? Or so I tell myself, when envy rises.

Image by Adrienne Benitez

Civic Engagement

January 6, 2012 ⋅ One comment

I used to think that complaining about politics was involvement enough. And then, 3 years ago, I became an advocate for immigrant rights. By building coalitions and being persistent, we were able to change an entrenched policy in Los Angeles that was having a devastating financial impact on low-income families. Now I feel like a real citizen.