Whoa! The Whole30 book said I would dream about food right around this day in the program, but I didn’t think it would pertain to me!
I awoke to some bizarre dreams of eating blue corn tortilla chips and salsa. After I indulged in a few, I had realized that I broke my diet! Then I grabbed a beer and figured to go all out. When I came to, I actually thought I had broken the Food Experiment, and worried that I would have to start over. Then, I realized the truth and couldn’t believe that the book had called this out on the VERY day I usually would experience such apparitions.
My initial assumption was that I would never get these types of dreams because my diet was already strikingly similar to the Whole30 program. But as the days went on, I realized that I still abused dairy, beer, and lots of secretive sugars that I never thought about. Eliminating sugars from my diet has been the best part of the Whole30. I feel amazing with fewer “drunk” moments where my brain fog thickens and my nervous system shorts.
I started the day with a typical breakfast except that I realized I was out of onions.
That sucks.
Right after my (late) breakfast, I decided to go drive for Lyft. I wanted to give the fine people of the Women’s March rides from the event. I prepared some road snacks to prevent temptation elsewhere: Carrots, celery, cucumbers, and romaine lettuce.
As I drove into the heart of the protest, I realized that not a single person wanted a ride and this may have been all for naught. Then, I found some inspiring parts of the city for a movie idea with which I’m tinkering, and then I saw something terribly saddening.
I drove through myriad people, most of which are well-off members of the working class rightfully protesting the issues with our country’s comparison of genders, but then literally two blocks down, I entered Skid Row.
Skid Row is the area of downtown Los Angeles where the tent cities full of impoverished homeless call home. I couldn’t help but feel that some of our energy regarding gender equality could be utilized in assisting those who have literally nothing but the trash that they reclaim out of dumpsters and off of the streets.
Thousands of people live like this all year round, and yet, here we have hundreds of thousands looking to make an important change in our legislature just two blocks north. These people go home and feel energized in their empowerment – and again – rightfully so, but they go HOME. Can we help these people in any way instead of ignoring them?
I’ve spent fifteen months in Los Angeles, and this is the mentality here. Ignore those in need; pass them by if it means you don’t have to converse with them. Sure, a lot of them have mental issues, but shouldn’t we do something about that too? Offer some sort of care – even a scaled-down equivalent – so that these people may change their circumstances? Or are all of these people “lost causes?”
I worked on another show, and we shot on the very same street near as a homeless shelter. Our dolly was sitting inches away from a homeless man trying to sleep in his cardboard house. This city seems to cling to ignorance as much as these people try to cling to life.
Sorry, I’ll step off my soapbox now. Back to food.
Since my usual Saturday driving for Lyft was pointless this week, I instead went to write. I walked to Coffee Source and got to work. I had an Americano and then walked the two miles back home.
When I got home hours later, I was rather hungry. I craved my leftover sloppy joes and happily satiated that pang. I sided it with hazelnuts and raisins.
Finally, as my friend, Nebiyu, came over to watch a film, I had the pregnant woman’s special: An apple and pickles. Sweet and salty always wins. We caught up with Lady Bird. I was blown away by this film. Easily one of the best of the year. I cannot wait to see what Greta Gerwig makes next.
I, personally, despised her character in Frances Ha. I know, she co-wrote that film and starred as the titular Ha, but the woman they crafted was an entitled pain in the ass that had no character arc. Lady Bird was quite the opposite. Saoirse Ronan was magnetic, and her interplay with her mother (played by Laurie Metcalf) was a true sight to behold. I hung on every word, every frame of that film. Greta, I know I said some critical shit just now, but I cannot clap hard enough in your direction.
Watch it.
-Jamie (@GuyOnAWire)
Jamie writes about himself a lot. Yeah, he knows that can be irritating, but he hopes that people can learn from his mistakes, like when he had cancer and waited too long to chase his dream. Learn more about his battle with Leukemia (AML) in his on-going first draft of his book here.
GuyOnAWire 
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