A Dickens Reference Would Be Perfect Here!
There is San Francisco.
And there is Los Angeles.
I live in SF, but I’ve taken a few trips to LA in the past months. I’ve met the locals. Flirted with the natives. I’ve consumed their wine. I feel almost qualified to talk about it. So here goes.
San Francisco is energy. It’s liberating. It’s fresh air, and crisp air and foggy air and air that’s never warm enough, which is perfect if you run. I wore my winter coat all through August and pulled it back out in November. San Francisco demanded it. San Francisco is hills surrounded by water, covered with seven mile stretches of overpriced homes. She’s a proud city. She will strain your legs and your heart walking up a hill, in the cold and dark and mist just to go to the Whole Foods, but then you’ll turn around at the crest, and her beauty will make you forget all else.
Los Angeles is energy too. He’s internal energy. He’s go. He’s motivation. He’s telling you that you will be crushed if you don’t devote your life to him, and even if you do, you’ll probably be crushed anyway. Los Angeles wants all of you. He’ll encompass you and suck you in and you’ll no longer understand “normal.” Los Angeles is smog and cars, and he’s wedged between hills that he’ll never let you climb. He’s an aspiring city. He’s this today, but he’ll be that tomorrow. Bending and shifting and essaying to mirror an existence that isn’t real.
San Francisco doesn’t care who’s behind her in line and whether or not she’s wearing pajama pants out and about on a Tuesday.
Los Angeles cares. And he will look at you. And he will spend a few seconds wondering if you’re important. And then he will see your pajama pants.
San Francisco says hi I work for this startup you’ve never heard of doing something you thought another startup already did, but it’s okay because I got investors because I’m kinda different because of this tiny insignificant detail and the fact that the UI is much more user friendly. You can read all about it on TechCrunch.
Los Angeles says hi I work for Starbucks making shit money, and I am using all of my creative energy to write this script that you’ve never heard of and you never will hear of because no one will make it, and no one will make my next creation either, or the next one, or the next one, but that’s the biz for you and have you seen the trailer for …?
San Francisco smokes.
Los Angeles snorts.
San Francisco says relax – the world is a beautiful place.
Los Angeles says the world is fucked and you’d better change it.
Where do you want to live?
