Hello, everyone. Big cities tend to draw in a lot of people from all over the world, all with very different backgrounds and life styles, and oftentimes those people are after the kind of excitement and success seen in movies and television. To give you a better idea of what it's like for those people, I asked my neighbor to talk about his experience so far. I hope you can enjoy it.
Here's how it went.
Why did you come to Los Angeles?
"I came to LA because I wanted to be a screenplay writer. I'd always been told I'm a good writer and that I know how to tell a story in an interesting way, and I've also always really loved movies, so when my cousin, Stan, told me about an opportunity I might have with someone he knew it just made sense to go for it. I had all these ideas and stories ready and worked out, and I just couldn't wait to get there."
And how did that turn out? What happened once you arrived?
"It didn't really work out the way I thought it would. When I got here I found out my cousin had exaggerated a little about the movie guy he knew, let's call him John. First off, it turned out they weren't really quite 'friends'. Stan was actually more just a slight acquaintance of John's. Stan was a limousine driver, and John only knew him because the first time he hired Stan, Stan waited until John wasn't looking so that he could get his wallet and look through his phone so that he could erase his contacts and steal any cards with other limo and cab drivers' numbers on them. Then Stan just pretended like he didn't know anything about it and offered John a discounted ride any time he wanted so that John would have to use him again. The discount wasn't real though. I think Stan actually charged him almost twice what he normally does. I guess John just never cared enough to look for anyone else, and over time he learned Stan's name. That about sums up their relationship. I think John once invited Stan to his apartment, but that might have just been to pick up a suit.
As for the opportunity Stan told me about, it turned out to just be a misunderstanding over something John once said. "That's hilarious! We should do a movie about that!", John said after Stan told him about where he was from."
And what happened after that? Why did you decide to stay?
Well, I did end up finding some work on my own. It was with this small independent group. After working on two of their movies I got a chance to work as part of a team of writers for a series pilot. Also, it would have been way too embarrassing to go back home with that story.
But the movies didn't do well and the pilot never aired. Honestly, it was pretty lucky I was able to use that to get my current job, writing short articles for a small newspaper. I don't make much money, but it's better than how most of the other people I worked with ended up."
How has it been since then?
"It's hasn't been great. I can barely afford my apartment and I don't often get to eat much. I ended up having to get a second job and I'm exhausted all the time. It wouldn't be so bad if I at least had a decent blanket, but the mice seem just as starved as me, considering they immediately eat right through every blanket I buy. I don't understand how it can get so damn cold at night when the weather is always so hot. It's as if the world is messing with me by making me freeze at night while I burn during the day."
And what's it like now, day to day?
"It's pretty lonely. Whenever I have time to kill I just want to lay in bed since I'm so damn tired and depressed all the time. I don't even have anyone to talk to. Stan left a while back and I haven't been able to make any friends. I sometimes end up sitting alone in the corner of my little room, talking to whatever captures my attention the most. The TV, pictures, funny shaped stains on the walls. Mold. Things like that.
If I hear the neighbors at all I'll usually use that as an excuse to go over and ask what the noise was about just so I can have someone to talk to. Then I'll try to find a reason to stay. Like if they're watching a sports game or the news. Once I was so hungry I even pretended to be really into a skin care infomercial so that I could try to get some of the chips they had."
What's been the hardest time for you yet?
"I guess the worst it's been was back when I was writing for that TV show. For a month straight I took every chance I could get to sleep at my desk because I really didn't want to leave. More than once when I absolutely had to leave the studio and go home I woke up feeling like rats ate my insides but left just my stomach intact so that I could still feel like I badly needed to vomit. I cried a few times.
It's better now though. I'm more used to the hunger pains. And I learned to wrap myself so the mice can't get to me. I still cry, but only in my sleep. It mostly stops once I wake up. So it's better. The mice are small, at least."
By @Raisons du Coeur
