Protesting Life!
(The following part was originally written in Norwegian as I do believe I needed to connect in with my Norwegian roots inside of me. I am translating the following into English 9 years later on the 1st of April 2012)
Wednesday 2nd of April 2003
It was about 3am before I arrived back at the Travel Lodge where I am staying at now. I slept to almost 9 in the morning and kept on sleeping, and stayed in all day.
Thursday 3rd of April 2003
I sense a new power inside that I am not able to handle. I only want to protest against everything I am doing. There is a very clear difference of reacting like a small grumpy child protesting everything and of following the newfound strength inside.
Friday 4th of April 2003
I do not remember what I did this day. Probably not much.
Saturday 5th of April 2003
I took a trip to UCLA (University of California Los Angeles) looking for film events that were taking place. I parked the car and walked around the area. The first building I walked into was the film building. Just inside I had a short talk with two guys and they invited me to a screening of two movies at 2pm. One of the guys was the director and he seemed nervous and excited abut the upcoming screening. I had about 1 and a half hour to look around the building and the surrounding areas, and also found a park where I rested for a while. Called home and afterward I called my close “relatives” the Dale family and spoke with Trude for a while. Closer to 2 I went back to the building where the screening was to take place. Wayne Calvin Byrd was going to screen his movie “Night at the Marina” and “Pretty Lady” two movies he created for his thesis for Graduating from UCLA.
“Night at the Marina” was about how the police mishandled him and his five friends one August day in 1995. They were beaten and arrested with no other reason then they being black.
“Pretty Lady” was about drawing the wrong conclusions and acting on them without knowing the facts. Acting in a very negative way and realizing later how much is ruined.
One thing he talked about during the question & answer session afterward was how much the police brutality event had shaped his life. I could see a progression from the first movie through the second and how it looked to me as the progression of Wayne’s own life. I mentioned this for him during a short talk I had with him afterward.
He was another person I gave my card to….
The scrimp dinner turned into a movie
After the screenings I drove toward Nansenfield close to San Pedro but took a wrong turn and happen to drive to a mall area where I noticed the AMC theatre, so I said to heck with the scrimps. I was late anyway, so I decided to go see a movie instead. I went up to the window and asked the girl sitting there which movie is the next to begin, her response was “Phone Booth.” So I bought a ticket for $10.50, and went inside. The movie “Phone Booth” with Colin Farrell about a guy stuck in a phone booth. It was not much of a story but it seemed like an interesting and challenging role. Done with that movie, thank you for that, and on to the next I went. That movie became “View from the Top” with Gwyneth Paltrow about a woman who dreamt of being a flight attendant and followed the dream. During the movie I thought about my own dream and how I am following that.
One more movie for the night….I saw the second half of “The Core.” It was a lot better than I thought from what I have seen of trailers. Again it made me think of myself in my own life. Going into myself. “The Core” is about a group going into the core of the earth to help earth back to life. Yup another save the planet movie.
2 and a half movies for the price of one ticket, pretty good I would say…
Next was to find a hotel late at night. I am getting pretty good at finding hotels since I have tried a few in the last 6 weeks of my stay here in LA. I could probably have written a hotel journal for a magazine rating my hotel experiences. I found myself a Best Western, the nicest hotel I have stayed at here in LA, right by the cinema complex, so I had a peaceful sleep that night.
It had been a powerful day, and it became a powerful night with many dreams that I have forgotten. I woke up feeling strong and filled with energy.
Sunday 6th of April 2003
I got up late next day, and since it was day light savings meaning (spring forward) one hour forward I was definatly late for church. Got there around 2pm with just a very few people left. I stayed for a while and played the piano and sat outside in the sun for a while before I left. I headed for the maria close by and enjoyed watching the small waves. It made me think back to Norway, and sørlandet. Water relaxes me.
I drove to Santa Monica and became angry as I did not know where to check in for the night. I checked one place but it was too expensive. I drove onward not knowing where becoming more and more agitated. I checked into a really bad motel between Santa Monica and Hollywood that smelled of smoke. I had weird dreams that night that seem to fit with my mood.
Monday 7th of April 2003
What did I do today? I happen to drop by a cemetery that I had noticed to happen as I drove by it. I sat and thought and felt my life, which feels like a lot of bullshit that is running through me these days. It feels really heavy and difficult.
That evening I checked into the Travel Lodge in Hollywood where I have stayed a bunch of times before. This time room 301 was occupied so I got room 201.
There is so much I have not written, and I noticed that someone who loves me very much is sitting beside me as I write these words.