Vitamin D

I live in a neighborhood in LA that’s home to many people of a certain religion. They wear traditional clothing, and I often feel like I’m in another time, another era as I walk around - my morning ritual. I wound up here by happenstance, subletting the rent controlled apartment of a girl I met in a writing class. I like living amongst a culture different from my own… whatever that is… do I even have a culture? I feel pretty safe here. It’s all families. They also walk around the neighborhood often, all together. The women smile at me. The men mostly don’t even look at me. I smile at everyone.

I have a route I take for my daily walk. A figure eight around the hood, there’s a small incline, and I pass by a park. I do it unconsciously, and it allows my subconscious to come forward, which is an important part of my writing process.

Today, I’m listening to a guided meditation and feeling the sun, warm on my face as I power down the tree-lined sidewalk, abundant in two story, Spanish style h…