Root of the walk

Gaze c.2007

I don't remember why I ventured out on this night time walk by Hollywood and Highland.  I'll assume I was simply restless that night. While looking at this picture, I began to think about when I became aware of my long walks.

Earlier today, I read an article on yahoo that ranked L.A. third among the dirtiest cities in the country.  "AFC voters also put traffic-clogged Los Angeles in last place for being pedestrian friendly..." 

I’ll be the first to agree with this. This city is definitey not pedestrian friendly in comparison to most other major cities that I've visited. But I usually find comfort and freedom in taking crazy long walks. I’ll credit my grandmother for that. 

It started when I was 7yrs old. I had to sell 5 boxes of chocolates for my school’s fundraiser, and if you sold 5 boxes, then you won a free trip to Disneyland. We didn’t have much money so this was the only way for me to earn a ticket in. I guess you can say this was my first job. Many of the students gave their boxes to their parents where they'd sell them at work. Since my grandmother worked in a sweatshop and my mom wasn’t working at that time, that wasn’t an option. Everyday after school my grandma would pick me up and hand me a box of chocolates, much to my horror. Instead of taking our normal route home,  which included 3 buses, she’d made me walk from Brooklyn (Cesar Chavez now) & Boyle all the way home to Whittier & Townsend. It was a little less than 4 miles, but it was an awful lot for a little girl and an old lady.

She made me ask every person that walked by us. Pushed me into every business on the street. Made me stand in front of gas stations until we were kicked out for soliciting. Auto shop mechanics were my best customers. Dentists were not. At the end of it all, she not only tested my stamina, but also taught my first lesson in earning. As if a 7 yr old needed extra appreciation for a trip to Disneyland. I’m glad she made me do it, though. She made walking through this crazy town completely normal as well as altered my definition of a long walk, for life.

A penny for your thoughts C. 2008 Hollywood, CA

I rarely load color film into 35mm canon but I wasn’t in school and this was the easiest way to obtain processed negatives. I don’t normally like color film because I am not in control during the processing or development…or even the printer for that matter.

I was walking along Hollywood blvd one Sunday afternoon last fall when something caught my eye. As I waited at the corner of Hollywood and Highland, a homeless man came and stood right in front of me. Lost in thought, he seemed to be debating which corner he would be crossing. As he looked to his left, I noticed a penny hanging from his headband. Quietly, I lifted my camera, focused and snapped a shot. From the looks of it, he was definitely thinking about something completely different.