I live in a fairly new building within downtown Los Angeles. It’s a huge high-rise and really glossy new appliances. Despite all its prettiness and various great amenities, the building has got to have the worst elevator system ever. In New York, building elevators are often out of service. This, however, is justified considering that the buildings in New York are fairly old. Why would this brand new building in Downtown Los Angeles have elevator problems? I just don’t understand. 

Thus, when the elevator decided to go rogue on me this morning, I didn’t really flinch. I thought I had just been me being too sleepy as I was going down to the gym at 6 a.m. However, everyone else was having the same issue with the elevator. No matter what floor we chose it just wouldn’t work and kept sending us down to the ground floor. Eventually I did make my way up to the gym and back up to my apartment. However I felt that that was going to be a bad omen for how the rest of the day was going to be.  Thankfully, I was wrong about that omen. Or at least, I was wrong about what it portended.
I made my way two an LA County Board of Supervisors hearing meeting which was actually quite inspirational. Usually these types of events are quite boring and filled with tedious facts and regulations. However, today I got to hear the story of a teacher who had been born with polio many decades ago who managed to not only survive and be resilient but to also inspire hundreds of students to go on to do their best. He inspired Hilda Solis to go on to college when she didn’t think she would be able to. She not only went on to college but she also served as the 25th US Secretary of Labor under President Obama.  These stories of triumph always do get to me. 

Thereafter I had to go into the office and do 101 tasks. I got two of them done. I’ll take that as a small win. A really small win. But then I got the email I had been waiting for. My realtor emailed me to say that the house had been recorded in my name and now I was a new house owner in Los Angeles. My house search of over 6 months was finally over. I cannot express to you the amount of relief I felt in that moment.

When I got to the house she met us with the keys and I was able to just look around and just soak it all in. It is a rather old house. There will be work that has to be done to it. I have to think about whether to do the floors versus painting first. However, as I looked around at the empty rooms and the empty hallways I felt a great sense of euphoria. I felt that the world had possibilities. To be honest with you the last few weeks have been very hard in terms of work, national events. And just sad health stories that I have been hearing day in and day out for the past few months. It’s enough to make one feel a bit down and out. However, looking at the bare rooms I just felt that there’s still much one can do in this world. I felt that I have much purpose in life and have what I need to keep going and fight for all that I believe in. I know that empty rooms may seem just that to many. However, to me these empty walls means the world.

I feel happy and blessed.  And I just want to do a dance through my empty rooms. I surely have the dancing shoes for it.