The Place You Live

When my father said, "Go west", I listened. Arizona was nice for a while but to a girl from New York, California held great mystery and promise. Although my dad was talking about a vacation, with every mile west I drove, I knew I was never going back. A day like today reminds all of us in Southern California that good weather is a benefit of living in what my dad still calls "LALA land". He makes fun of the lack of good public transportation, movie star politicians and our growing economic troubles. He can't help it. He believes New York is the center of the universe and has difficulty understanding why anyone who has lived in New York would leave it. He called me shortly after I finished a five mile hike on the wilderness trail less then a mile from my home. He was discussing the real possibility that the state of California would be issuing IOUs instead of refunds this year. I could just see him shaking his head in disgust. Yes, it's all true. We have some problems but in the dead of winter I am wearing shorts and the sun is shining. I am sitting outside with my coffee and it is a blissful 75 degrees without a cloud in the sky. Warts and all.. I love California.