The Arrival of 2012

As 2012 arrived, here in Los Angeles, we had an arsonist lighting fires around town.  Unusual, to be sure, as the old Los Angeles of the 90's that we all knew so well, with quakes and fires and riots and floods, seems to have given way, overall, to a far more peaceful place.  Crime rates not seen since the 1950's, neighborhoods that have gone from not so nice to much better, and an overall feeling that this city is a lot better than it was.

So why this arsonist?  Why, as a group, have we Angelenos let this person, these events into our collective reality?  I have thought about this - and what comes up for me is that perhaps - we have gotten a bit too complacent here. Most people, when asked about the economy, say that they are "waiting for the real estate market to re-bound" "waiting for the economy to turn-around," while all the while, we walk with latte cup in hand, down sun drenched streets, sit at outdoor cafes, and hike for hours through the hills of LA.  Far more nature here than I ever imagined when I moved here years ago.

I sense that perhaps, this year will bring a change that many of us feel inside, but few are willing to acknowledge, or even fathom.  A change in economics, a change in finances, a change in our usual patterns of "waiting for someone to make it better." Here is one simple truth: if we really wanted to stop this arsonist, we here in Hollywood and West Hollywood and around LA would come together in our neighborhoods and take to the streets.  We would not sit inside and sleep with one ear to the wall, hoping that no one lights a fire in our carports. We would not wait and hope and depend on the police, the fire department to come to our rescue - to take care of us.

If we really wanted to, what we would do is come together and take shifts. Not armed with guns or weapons, but with cell phones, and cameras. Two people from each building, 2 hour shifts from sun down to sun up, walking the neighborhoods, getting to know each other, and keeping an eye out for not only the arsonist, but any other unsavory characters. 

Perhaps, as the occupiers have taught us, we, the people can stand up on our own two feet, and perhaps we are being challenged to do just that.  Not to wait and worry and sit inside in fear, but to take back our neighborhoods, and in peaceful strength make known to all - be it an arsonist or a drug dealer, that our neighborhoods are run by us, and we have the power here.  Not you.

If this year does bring changes, if we are faced with the realization that our economy is not just going to bounce back, but must in some ways - fall apart - so that we can create something better, then our own resilience and self-sustenance - will bring us through.  Perhaps, we are being challenged to consider that no one else is really responsible for keeping me and my neighborhood safe.  Perhaps we will find that no financial institution is actually responsible for taking care of my money, or that the economy is not some magic bullet that can suddenly turn around and take us back to a place where we feel secure.

Perhaps, what we are being challenged to do is to give up our long-held tendency to turn over power. If the occupiers taught us anything, so far, it is that we, the 99 percent, when we come together and assert our power, we are far more powerful than any crook, arsonist, banker, corporation, or politician.  We hold in our hands and in our hearts the power to re-create our lives however we choose.  But as long as we sit and wait for someone to do it for us, we will continue to be disappointed, because no matter how good the police are, they cannot police every inch of the city, the fire department cannot be everywhere at once, and a government cannot be depended on to take care of me.  Only I can do that.