05 June 2006

Babe, won't you let me stay, you're a beautiful girl

I'm in love. I want to shout it from the roof tops, I want to scream it from the sea. I AM IN LOVE!!! It's been a long time coming, a long, steady, unrequited time. It started about 20 years ago when my dear friend, Hank, took me up to his family's estate in The Berkshires. While the main house had been sold, his family kept, and still has, the guest cottage and the 300 plus acres surrounding the houses. It was a beautiful weekend on every level. We spent afternoons at The "Dead" Lion drinking Bloody Mary's (don't ask me why I wasn't carded...), talking about our dreams for our respective futures, music....and cars. I have been in love with that side of the world ever since. The towns, the people, the history, and of course, Tanglewood. There is very little better in this life than an evening at Tanglewood.

This past weekend I went up there with my other dear friend, Fritz, to see his ex wife, Lauren and her daughter, Catherine. Since I moved out to LA this has become an expected, and needed trip for us both. It's our time together. I have grown very fond of our 'hosts' and the 2 hour drive up Route 7. It's been a couple of years since we have had the time to stay for more than an hour or 2 so this time Lauren made plans for dinner and drinks with some friends of hers at this nice little place called Due (doo eh) in Great Barrington. Aside from the tasty vittles and stimulating conversation I noticed something else. Everyone in the joint was beautiful. Our waiter was a major hottie and if I'd been a Hollywood agent I would have snatched him up. Though I'm guessing he's pre-med and wouldn't care.

I was absolutely struck by the beauty that surrounded me. Not just the natural world of the rolling hills and mountains I so crave when I am away. But the people. Everyone was beautiful in this amazing, natural way. I never once looked at someone and wondered what kind of work they have had done as is so common a thought in LA where most everyone is 'beautiful', 'perfect' and sterile. It numbs my brain to people watch sometimes because people always look so put together, so 'made' and cardboard like. What I witnessed in this restaurant and everywhere we went was this softness, this realism, this tangible and delectable beauty that you can taste when you breathe in the humid air. I was truly amazed.

It was hard to leave. Very hard. I'm wondering why I hadn't noticed all this the last time I was there. Or the time before. I think when I lived on this side of the world it was everywhere I looked and I took it for granted. Time in LA has changed the lenses from which I view this planet. I appreciate it so much more than I did when I was growing up here. There is such a stark contrast living in LA, in so many ways, that to describe it would take a novel, or a weekly blog, to fully comprehend for me or you. Unless you live it. Maybe that's the trick. You have to live it to fully be in love. So yes, I am in love. I can admit it. I'm in love with the rolling hills of The Berkshires, the natural friendly faces, and her Cooper Mini that Lauren finally let me drive!!!

Thanks for tuning in...Until next Monday...CHEERS!!!!

2 comments:

Abby said...

I remember driving on a rural highway with my brother one time when I was home for a visit from LA and seeing some very ordinary things - bird houses, the receding canal, yellow dotted line, etc - and he basically thought I was nuts with my fascination - like I hadn't viewd those very same things from the window of the school bus I rode throughout my childhood. There was some ad campaign, can't remember from what, that said "come see it again for the first time," and as cheesy as that is, it is true that seeing things in a new way, based on the perspective we fine-tune with every new experience we add, that really shows us what's important to us.

Anonymous said...

lara...this is probably too much family info, but after her CA years in oxnard, my sister could not wait to drive up into the hills of munnsville here and smell the cow manure! i enjoyed your blog...and i enjoy every day, some surprise on my way to work...a heron in a dry creek bed, a cardinal swooping in front of my car, bunnies,, cats hunting in the fields...all i have to do is notice! glad you had a good trip east....xox dt