Hellllllllllloooo!

Meet “Herbert.” I call him Herb for short. My mom and sister got him for me when I was homeless light in Los Angeles during 2024. Yup. I had just landed in a quick stay in North Hollywood at the time. It was just before I settled back into South Central Los Angeles. And Herb has seen me through it all…

Why go into those weeds about dreaming versus being realistic? You could easily argue that society’s expectations say it’s unrealistic for someone soooooo low to the ground to think beyond her next meal.

BUT BUT BUT I put together a short film for the EasterSeals Disability Film Challenge less than five weeks after that time. Was that the best installment in my EasterSeals series of short films? Nope. So what?

Cuz I’ve thought a ton about what Dave Chappelle said about being poor versus being broke. Dudes!! I was broke not broken. If anything??? I was breathing loud and clear.

And when I was living in that transitonal/homeless light situation in South Central Los Angeles? I’d regularly find $6.50 to eat this yummy chicken and strawberry salad with a wheat bolillos from the Northgate Market about two miles from my place. Again with the nope: $6.50 doesn’t seem like a lot of money. But when you’re as broke as I was? It felt huge. Except fresh food was worth it to me. And I’d spurge every once and while to get sushi from there.

Again: Broke not broken

So…

I know some folks out there may be thinking that talking about things like putting together feature films, poetry books, and more projects to be announced soon?? Crazy talk.

And it’s even more crazy cuz I’m a 54 year old woman living in the middle of nowhere with limited resources. Sure. I do have some bigger resources that I could cash out to “solve” my immediate situation. Short term fucking thinking.

Cuz let’s face it – Doing things can absolutely a lot easier when the resources are there. EXCEPT??? If you don’t know how to build things with no resources??? You burn through resources when you do have them. Yup. I’m absolutely grateful to have been as broke as I was. I also know that even at my lowest that I still had far more resources than a lot of people.

My biggest: A refusal to give up and give into bullshit.

As always: Have a glamorous day for fun!!

• Uncategorized