So, New
Yorkers often ask about the people in Southern California. I could think of no to better way to
illustrate the tenor of the place than through the following vignettes. Please note that in each and every one of
them, I’m speaking to a very young man … say, 20-to-24 years old. That, in and of itself, is extraordinary, as
young people in New York do not acknowledge that people over 39 even exist. That prejudice seems nonexistent here in
Huntington Beach, and there are no barriers in striking up conversations with
strangers.
The Scene:
A barbershop in Huntington Beach, where Your Correspondent is getting a
much-needed haircut.
Young Man: So
dude, where you from?
Me: New York.
Young Man: Dude,
move to Cali. You’ll live longer.
Me: Are you from around here?
Young Man: No. Chicago.
Me: What brought you here?
Young Man: Dude
– I’m in Southern California. I’m living
the dream. You oughtta come.
Me: Sold.
The Scene:
A Trader Joe’s in Huntington Beach.
We are on line, with one customer ahead of us. The store is otherwise empty. A Young Man leaps to another cash register to
accommodate us.
Young Man: Sorry
for the crowds, dude.
Me: Crowds? You couldn’t get a game of solitaire going
here.
Young Man: This
place. It’s too crazy. The pace is too fast. I’m going to move.
Me: To a cemetery? Seriously, where is the pace slower?
Young Man: New
Mexico. They’re really happy over there.
Me: Well, we’re from New York, and think
Huntington Beach is paradise.
Young Man: New
York? Dude, I got to get there.
Me: (Looking around) Not if you think this
place is crowded….
Scene:
Huntington Beach, on the beach itself.
We are walking along the beach and come across a young man fiddling with
an enormous drone. This thing is roughly
the size of a human torso, equipped with a camera on a gyroscope in the lower
body. We stand apart, watching as he
prepares it.
Young
Man: Dude, come over.
Me: OK.
That’s quite a drone. Can you
tell me about it?
Young
Man: (Provides considerable detail on how
it works.) Using it to shoot some
B-roll.
Me: Thanks. Well, I’ll be off; don’t want to be in your
way.
Young
Man: Dude.
Hang out.
Me: [Gobsmacked.]
Scene:
Once again, on the beach itself.
I am alone, and walking along the famous pier. There are three young men with palm fronds,
twisting them into the shape of roses.
Before them is a sign: FREE OR
LEAVE ONE DOLLAR.
Me: [Taking
one and leaving one dollar.] Many
thanks. I’m getting this for my husband.
Young
Man: Your husband? Dude –
that’s so cool!
After just a few short weeks, what I
find amazing is not that people live in Southern California, but that anyone
would dream of living anywhere else.
Next
week: We return to our regular reviews
and overviews.
1 comment:
Congratulations on the move and it seems like y'all are settling in nicely. I am wondering how long it will be til that Abbot fellow posts that "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" is a classic?
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