I am still figuring Los Angeles out. What makes it tick. What makes it grand. If it is grand.

One of the things I do love about Los Angeles is the street art. Everywhere you go there is street art that makes you think, laugh or get a bit miffed. And that is ok. Apparently in LA there was a lot of graffiti or more like “tagging.”  Many individuals felt that their spaces were being violated. Many felt that there was too much vandalism that was costing many people much time and money to repair.  Even I have had to think about how sigange may get tagged.

One solution that came about was that of street murals. It was in the vein, of “if you can’t beat them, join them” and “when life gives you lemon..make lemonade.” Personally, I like to say “when life gives you lemon, throw them back”. Or my favorite is “add vodka.”  Although, I must admit I far prefer rum but recognize that vodka goes well with lemons.

Los Angeles has done well with repurposing their walls so that they have meaning for the residents and keeps a new flow and energy going through the neighborhoods.  The history of street art goes back and deeper than what I have just expalined. There is a history surf graffitiin the  Venice and Santa Monica areas in the 1970s.  Each area has its own relationship with street art that is unique, dazzling and complicated. I am not yet fully familiar with all these histories but I do love exploring the neighborhoods and seeing and experiencing their street-art interpretation.

Now you are porbably thinking at this point, this is lovely but where does the vodka come back in to the conversation? It will. It will.

I was doing a bit of communtiy mapping in a new neighborhood recently when I came across this large mural with the one tree in the middle of the block. And I was just reminded of a tropical location for a movie set. It gave me a pep in my step. The mural was like adding some vodka to that lemon.

This all got me thinking about how for many people life is all about lemons at the moment. A lot of lemons have been thrown and people are trying to figure out whether they can make lemonade or throw the lemons back. At this point I think we just need a big vat of vodka and perhaps some tequila.  Add some salt or orange juice and a party can get started.

I am just being silly, of course. But there are many points in life where one just has to figure out a way to repurpose what you have even when you were not expecting to have to engage in such an undertaking. I like finding new purpose as well as repurposing. I like a bit of disruption in my plans and routines and I tend to roll with it. I don’t roll over but roll with the fact that I have to readjust myself to take on a new challenge. Did that make any sense?

I think you get it. So, lets repurpose those lemons.