Recently, I’ve been checking out episodes of Speakeasy with Paul F. Tompkins. (Side note: I found Ben Schwartz to be very lovable.)
One thing I loved, that really resonated with me, was Aziz Ansari‘s interview. He was talking about how people are always complaining about L.A., saying L.A.’s public transportation isn’t as good as New York’s. Its theater isn’t as good as NY’s. Its restaurants and bars close earlier than NY’s.
But then he exclaimed, “it’s not New York!” ‘The bars here close at two. Get used to it. That’s what happens in L.A.’
And he’s so right. I’ll admit I complain a lot about Los Angeles. It’s sort of my thing. (So, I’m not positive that I can 100% give it up…) But I will say I am always so much happier around people who are happy.
Sometimes people are really funny when they complain in the right hilarious manner. And certainly we’re allowed to complain and have emotions and such. But, the people who are overall really sunny-dispositioned and just generally really happy – being around them feels good.
I want to bask in their presence. I want people to want to be around me. Heck, I want to be around myself.
So, after hearing Aziz’s nice little (true) bit, it makes me think that as much as I absolutely shudder to say it, perhaps I should be thinking about the nice parts of L.A. I should be happy I’m in a place that, while it may not be New York, still has a lot of good stuff.
I know it’s such a simple (and you’d think common-sense) sentence, but to hear “L.A. is not New York,” it just kind of woke me up a little (and probably needs to be a mantra of mine). I can’t ask L.A. to be something it’s not. But I can do my best to appreciate it for what it is.