Monday, June 29, 2009

It was only when I arrived in Vegas did I appreciate just how stressful California actually is, contrary to the brochures. You can only be relaxed if you have the wherewithal to cloister in a safe neighborhood, otherwise...

I spent 7 years in California. I thought because of the poverty, it was stressful. I didnt appreciate that the place itself is extremely stressful. By the time I left, I was an angry mess - not trustful of anyone, feeling out of place. Even when I was doing ok financially - I was still stressed. Before I got to LA, I would wonder why the place was so prone to riots, historically speaking. After living there for several long months, I can attest to a bubbling, seething level of ... hatred... caused by class divisions, racial tensions and historical grudges. No wonder the place goes up in flames periodically.

No wonder I had to get out of there.
Posted by at

2 comments:

cindy said...

there isn't this in nyc? and i'm not a big fan of los angeles. tho the food is better than most places i've been to. it's a sprawling monstrosity and very intimidating.

4:35 PM
Joe Pennant said...

New York is no laid back place, but it doesnt pretend to be. SoCal is just as rough, but it pretends to have a different gestalt.

California has the reputation and initial feel of being a relaxed place. After awhile, you learn lassez-faire and laid back are two quite different things. There is a reason California has the largest prison system and incarceration rate in the US.

In New York, even if you dont like or care about the person next to you - youre still aware you had better live together. In LA and much of SoCal, the bare naked hatred and aggression to other classes and cultures would shock the average New Yorker.

Vegas may be an exurb of SoCal, but it is nowhere near as nasty. After years of Cali, my blood pressure has gone down. Finally.

And Im just as broke. :)

5:08 PM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)