Los Angeles, my home for 15+ years, burns and I find myself caught between two mindsets:

1.) To drill down into it and chat it out

2.) To offer my usual, irreverent take on something

So I’m gonna do a little bit of both, but keep it as short and sweet as I can.

SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM FOR SOMETHING DUMB

The fires are truly devastating and worse than what you see on TV. The images of shelled-out vehicles and hollowed buildings where my old haunts used to be — astounding. Nature is. Period.

I remember being in New York when 9/11 happened and, in some ways, it felt similar to this, though completely different. I won’t get into to all of that now, as that event and aftermath are things I rarely discuss. However, what I will say is that one of the things I remember most is just how much community mattered. The resolve and determination I experienced, the collective support and coming together…all things that have stuck with me to this day. So, in spite of the world feeling like it’s on fire (and it is), I still have hope.

Hope is a superpower of mine, I realize that now. I also realize that, in the times when you feel most powerless, hope is one of the most valuable commodities there is.

I can hold space and hope for people who don’t have any to spare. You can too. Though I can’t run fast enough from religion, I’m a deeply faithful, spiritual person. Now, I realize, more than ever, just how important that is. If you are a person who can sit and listen, or breathe with people, or hold people, know THAT is a superpower and it is healing. After 9/11, we all banded together in a way I’d never experienced before — a testament to hope, and communtiy, and the resilience of the human spirit.

To my fellow Angelenos: Although I cannot replace what has been lost, I can help hold what hurts. I can open my arms and hold onto hope — I can share hope with those who have none,

And that is what I choose to do.

So. If you or someone you know has been affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles and need a little hope, I have plenty to spare. Drop me a line and let’s find a way to connect. The only way out is through, and the concept of “through,” fucking sucks right now. But we will get through this. Together.

No one is alone.

No one is a stranger.

Everyone is loved.

now for something dumb:

Thanks for hanging with me. Stay strong, Los Angeles. I ❤️ you.

xo - Cloie